For this edition of Ask a Feminist, we turn to Susan J. Carroll—eminent political scientist and longtime advocate of women's political participation—to address issues around gender and electoral politics. Her expertise and experience are needed now more than ever.


One of the factors that determines productivity is the fertilization. Plants need macro and micro nutrients because these elements have vital function in their metabolism. However there is still a big controversy over the use of micro nutrients to sugar cane. The goal of this paper was to evaluate the efficiency of the use micro nutrients in sugar cane crop (plant cane and year) given by tolete and foliar. The experiment was made in Campina Verde / MG between November/2006 and November/2007 using the RB925345. The following treatments were analised: 1) CanaMicros® sprayed in seedpieces + foliar fertilization with B, Cu, Mo and Zn (plants with 45 days); 2) CanaMicros® sprayed throught seedpieces; 3) Micro nutrients throught foliar (the same as treatment 1 after 45 days) 4) witness (without micro nutrients). They sprayed all treatments on Fipronil pesticide. The treament didn't interfere with numbers and diametes of the stalk nor did with the plant hight or technological analysis. The sugar cane production and of pol per hectare show meaning differences. The treatments 1 was statiscally beyond the treaments 3 and 4, but was no diferent of the treatment 2. In conclusion the use of micro nutrients give an increasing of the sugar cane productivity. We have better results using them throught tolete plus foliar. The application of micro nutrients throught tolete is an efficient practice because we can use it with pesticides, which decreases the costs and gives an equitable distribution of nutrients.


In this paper a novel dual functional converter has been proposed. The new configuration of the circuit works based on bifilar method. By a simple technique, using pulse width modulation method, this double functional converter can produce both ac or dc voltage as user defines regardless of variation of the input voltage amplitude. This new structure has a significant advantageous in the photovoltaic applications. In This converter, the output voltage is easily switched between two different modes. In addition, Power electronics devices have been reduced and it only uses a simple switch. The volume of circuit is relatively small. The total harmonic distortion (THD) for ac outputs has been greatly reduced. Besides, the new inverter works with high efficiency. All these statements have been greatly proved in the simulation results.


THE GROWTH and the functioning of public service bureaucracies has been a subject of serious concern almost throughout the world for the last three decades. The bureaucracy obtained in most countries is a product of the philosophy of government that prevailed in the nineteenth century. But the concept of state and the role of government in the second half of the twentieth century have vastly changed. The policy of laissezfaire has been given up long back. The tasks of government are no longer passive and regulatory. It has taken on vast new responsibilities. Even in developed nations the government is expected to achieve general social and economic aims such as full employment, a satisfactory rate of growth, stable prices, comfortable balance of payment, social security and protection of the environment, etc. With the role of the government increasing vastly, bureaucracy also increased in strength and in the power it exercised. The question arose how far these bureaucracies which were steeped in nineteenth century tradition are suited for governments in the latter half of the twentieth century. In a conference of young public servants convened by Dwight Waldo in 1968 in Syracuse University the consensus was that old bureaucratic ideals had outlived their usefulness and that new structures and methods should take their place.1 In Britain, at the same time, the Fulton Commission came to the same conclusion: "In our view" said the Commission "the structure and practices of the service have not kept up with changing tasks. The defects we have found can nearly all be attributed to this ... So today the service is in need of fundamental change. It is inadequate ... for the most efficient discharge of the present and prospective responsibilities of government". 2 If this is the experience of developed nations, the problem in the newly independent developing nations is more intense and immediate. The tasks facing the new governments are staggering. They are summed up in the phrases 'nation building' and 'development': which include such tasks as


Computer design of materials focus on the discovery, interpretation, simulation, and organization of the microscopic interactions between atoms and molecules in condensed phases of materials. The ability to predict materials properties is a fundamental requirement of technological advances and economic competitiveness. A key component of our industrial development is the ability to invent and design novel materials. Our paper focus on computer simulation of the block copolymers structure optimization.


The invention discloses a milk product true protein determinator and a determination method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of milk product true protein detection. The milk product true protein determinator comprises a potentiometer, a dissolved oxygen electrode, a test cup body, a magnetic stirrer and a current detection device; the bottom of the test cup body is communicated with and fixed on the magnetic stirrer, a stirring rod located on the magnetic stirrer is arranged in an inner cavity of the test cup body, the dissolved oxygen electrode is connected with the potentiometer through a wire, the bottom of the dissolved oxygen electrode stretches into the inner cavity of the test cup body, the current detection device is used for detecting currents of a solution in the inner cavity of the test cup body, and the potentiometer, the dissolved oxygen electrode, magnetic stirrer and the current detection device are controlled by a control system to work. According to the milk product true protein determinator and the determination method thereof, the content of protein in milk products is quickly determined by means of a current method, the content of the protein in the sample is analyzed by determining the current decrease value through a dissolved oxygen meter, and therefore the detection errors caused by existence of non-protein nitrogen are reduced.


We read with interest the recent article by Duarte-García, A. et al. where they reported an estimated prevalence of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) of 50 cases per 100,000 population. APS is an autoimmune disorder characterized by thrombotic events, pregnancy morbidity, or both in the presence of persistent positivity for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). While APS is often held as the most common acquired thrombophilia, the global incidence and the prevalence of APS in the general population still need to be fully elucidated. Some reports estimate an incidence of 5 cases per 100,000 persons per year and a prevalence of 40-50 cases per 100.000 persons. Recently, several studies made further attempts to estimate the prevalence of aPL in different cohorts, such as young patients with stroke, patients with pregnancy morbidity, stroke, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, and patients with first unprovoked thrombosis.


Deregulated epigenetic program is found in many cancers, and genetic aberrations of histone methyltransferases contribute to transformation in myeloid leukemias. Post-transcriptional regulation in leukemia has recently been highlighted as a novel way for maintaining the leukemia stem cell (LSC) program. We have recently demonstrated that Msi2 is required for LSC function in a murine MLL-AF9 leukemia model. We determined that MSI2 maintains the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) self-renewal program by interacting and retaining efficient translation of critical MLL regulated transcription factors including Hoxa9 , Myc and Ikzf2 . Despite extensive studies implicating Myc and Hoxa9 in leukemia, the role for Ikzf2 in myeloid leukemia is not known. Ikzf2 is a member of the Ikaros transcription factor family and regulates lymphocyte development by controlling regulatory T-cell function. Ikzf2 is highly expressed in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) and to investigate if Ikzf2 is involved in HSC function, we utilized mice that have a specific deletion of Ikzf2 in the hematopoietic system through the Vav-cre system. We found similar frequencies for different populations in the stem, progenitor and mature cells in the bone marrow of Ikzf2 f/f and Ikzf2 D/D mice. Colony assays of isolated Lin - Sca1 + c-Kit + (LSK) cells from Ikzf2 f/f and Ikzf2 D/D mice resulted in a comparable number of myeloid progenitor colonies. Furthermore, noncompetitive transplant of Ikzf2 f/f and Ikzf2 D/D bone marrow cells showed similar chimerism after 34 months indicating that I kzf2 D/D mice have normal HSC function and hematopoiesis. To interrogate the role of Ikzf2 in acute myeloid leukemia we utilized the MLL-AF9 retroviral transduction model. Intracellular flow cytometry showed that IKZF2 is highly expressed in the LSC population compared to the non-LSCs. We then transduced Ikzf2 f/f and Ikzf2 D/D LSK cells with MLL-AF9 and found that Ikzf2 deletion results in a ten-fold reduction in colony formation compared to Ikzf2 f/f cells. Transplantation of transduced cells results in delayed leukemia progression with reduced disease burden. Secondary transplantation of the initiation experiment exhibited a significant delay in leukemogenesis in the Ikzf2 D/D compared to the Ikzf2 f/f mice (median survival of 32 and 19.5 days, respectively). The role for Ikzf2 in maintenance was assessed with an inducible puro-creER system, which resulted in 80% decrease in viable cell number within 24hrs of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) treatment. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the Ikzf2 -deficient cells had increased apoptosis and differentiation, shown by AnnexinV/7-AAD and Mac1 expression respectively. Furthermore, inducible deletion of Ikzf2 using puro-creER system in vivo revealed that Ikzf2 deletion leads to a delay in leukemia after tamoxifen administration in mice. These results indicate that Ikzf2 is required for both leukemia initiation and maintenance. To determine a role for IKZF2 in human leukemia cells, we performed Ikzf2 knockdown experiments with shRNAs in Kasumi-1, KG1, KCL22 and MOLM13 cells. Ikzf2 depletion resulted in decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis compared to cells infected with scramble shRNA. To determine the mechanism for how IKZF2 controls leukemia cell survival and self-renewal, we performed gene expression profiling of the Ikzf2 -deficient Vav-cre LSCs and demonstrated enrichment in signatures for self-renewal loss, increased differentiation, loss of Myc-regulated genes and loss for targets of Hoxa9 and Meis1. Further analysis overlapping our MSI2 HITS-CLIP data and our differentially regulated genes revealed a strong enrichment suggesting that the MSI2 bound targets are transcriptionally regulated by IKZF2. Lastly, ATAC-sequencing of Ikzf2 f/f and Ikzf2 D/D LSCs revealed alterations in chromatin accessibility that correlated closely with differentially expressed genes. Utilizing the ATAC-seq data we predicted that HOXA9 and MYC sites were significantly altered. We validated that MYC RNA and protein levels were reduced in both murine and human AML cell lines. In contrast to its known tumor suppressor role in hypodiploid B-ALL and T-ALL, these results suggest that Ikzf2 contributes to MLL leukemia cell initiation and maintenance. Thus, we provide evidence that Ikzf2 can regulate c- MYC expression helping in maintaining the stem cell self-renewal program in LSCs. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The thesis discussed the measures for Teacher Education responding to the foundation education courses reformation as well as advanced education reformation from various perspectives.These measures include changing the teaching mode,enhancing subjects and course construction,specializing and incorporating Teacher Education,etc.


Mathematical morphology offers a set of powerful tools for im- age processing and analysis. From a practical perspective, the expected re- sults of many morphological operators can be intuitively explained in terms of geometrical and topological characteristics of the images. From a formal perspective, mathematical morphology is based on complete lattices, which provides a solid theoretical framework for the study of algebraic properties of the operators. Despite of these nice characteristics, designing morpholog- ical operators is not a trivial task; it requires knowledge and experience. In this chapter, a self-contained exposition on the design of translation-invariant morphological operators from training data is presented. The described train- ing procedure relies on the canonical sup-decomposition theorem of mor- phological operators, which in the context of binary images states that any translation-invariant operator can be expressed uniquely in terms of two ele- mentary operators, erosions and dilations, plus set operations. An important issue considered in this exposition is how the bias-variance tradeoff manifests within the training context and how its understanding can lead to approaches that generate better results. Several application examples that illustrate the usefulness of the described design procedure are also presented.


This paper introduces an example of how pictures were used to facilitate exploration of spiritual aspects of self, as a basis for qualitative research, with young people aged 15–18 years. The author considers how spiritually moving and stirring experiences may be related to the notion of a direct, participatory embodied attunement to the world. Contemporary approaches in psychotherapy emphasise the significance of right brain structures in accessing deeper senses of self. It is suggested that the role of the researcher/interviewer is highly significant in creating an appropriate way of being present that is conducive to the subjects evocation of spiritual states of being. From both perspectives, the definition by David Hay and Rebecca Nye of spirituality as 'relational consciousness' may have further concrete and direct implications for how qualitative research is fostered in this area.


Potamogeton × subrufus Hagstr. was described as a hybrid between P. lucens L. and P. nodosus Poir.; however, the taxon had not been widely accepted and regarded as conspecific with P. × fluitans Roth, the hybrid between P. lucens and P. natans  L. The origin of P. × subrufus had been obscured till 2010, when, based on morpho-anatomical treatment, it was shown that P. × subrufus displays several characters consistently different from those of P. × fluitans . Here we report a successful amplification and sequencing of nuclear ribosomal ITS1 region from a 115 year-old herbarium specimen of P. × subrufus , collected in locus classicus by J. Baagoe and preserved in the Herbarium of the Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University (KRA). Based on the additive polymorphism pattern expressed in the ITS1 sequences of P. × subrufus , we demonstrate that one of the parents of this hybrid was P. nodosus , as was claimed by Hagstrom.


Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Abstraction and empathy: the philosophical background in the socio-economic foreground 2. The poetics of Expressionist performance: contemporary models and sources 3. Schrei ecstatic performance 4. An 'Expressionist solution to the problem of theatre': Geist abstraction in performance 5. Late Expressionist performance in Berlin: the Emblematic mode Concluding observations Notes Select bibliography Index.


Ab initio electronic structure calculations are reported for low-lying electronic states,X ~1Σ~+and A ~1Π of the N_2F~+ molecule.Geometric parameters for the ground state X ~1Σ~+ are predicted by means of mul- tireference single and double excitation configuration interaction(MRSDCI)calculations with a double zeta plus polarization(DZ+P)basis set.Vertical excitation energy for these two electronic states is determined using MRSDCI/DZ+P calculations at the ground state equilibrium geometry.The oscillator strength for the X~1Σ+→ A ~1Π transition and the radiative lifetime for the A~1Π state are calculated based on the MRSDCI wavefunc- tions.


Abstract: Diabetic Ocular Diseases (DOD), or Diabetic Eye Diseases (DED), is a set of eye problems that can affect people with all types of diabetes. Severe diabetes without proper diagnosis and control may lead to vision loss. It might damage the optical nerve, which causes poor/blurry vision or blindness. The problem includes Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Glaucoma, and Cataracts. Diabetes people may frequently have this ailment, manifesting as fuzzy vision, floaters or streaks resembling cobwebs, retinal edema, impaired color perception, and eventually blindness. The primary issue is that these conditions are irreversible. So, timely diagnosis and treatments are a must. Many technologies, particularly Deep Learning (DL) and Machine Learning (ML), have evolved to predict and detect diseases earlier. This study aims to review some previously developed frameworks proposed by authors. Finding a reliable way to detect diseases early is the central stimulation behind this review. Most earlier works focused on categorizing images according to the severity of conditions. However, this review of the classification of diabetic eye diseases may give a proper path to identify suitable CNN for further work.


Abstract A new Ni(II) and Pb(II) polymer [NiPb(dpdc)]n 1 (H2dpdc = 2,6-dimethyl-pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid) was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P-1 with the final R = 0.0243 and wR = 0.0579 for 3590 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). The compound presents a three-dimensional (3 D) network extended by dpdc2- anions employing a chelating coordination mode. From the topology point of view, the structure could be described as a (3,4)-connected 3 D network with (4.8.10)(82.10)2(188.8.131.52) topology net. Infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analysis and the single-crystal X-ray diffraction properties of 1 are also investigated.


The effects of a severe body burn can be devastating. Victims of burns present one of the most difficult care problems in clinical medicine and are best managed by comprehensive teams that cut across many specialized disciplines. Edited by a psychiatrist and a plastic surgeon, this book offers more than the usual "cookbook" approach to burn care as each contributor outlines an area of expertise while placing emphasis on a personal sense of involvement, frustrations, and challenges. The reader gains real insight into what a nurse, physical therapist, or priest experiences when dealing with a helpless burn victim. The importance of humanistic care and the true art of medicine are recurrent themes. Personal and moral issues such as life as a disfigured person, termination of care, self-image, and marital relationships are as important as early resuscitation and wound coverage. Pain management, comprehensive nursing, nutrition, physical therapy, recreation, education, and social


Embroidered UHF RFID antenna enables seamless integration of RFID tags with apparels. In this paper, we show that the resonant frequency and sensitivity of embroidered meander line dipole (MLD) antennas will vary with the elongation of antenna geometry. We further propose that by exploiting this property, embroidered antenna can also be utilized as a stretch sensor. Prototype tags with embroidered antennas have been tested and proved that by reading the RFID tags' back-scattered signals, the reader can extract the elongation information caused by the stretching of well-performed embroidered RFID tags.


The education of "current situation and policies" is a indispensable part of the ideological and political education. It has important significance in helping the college students to establish a correct conception on the world view, life view and value view. This paper focuses on monographic selection and education form.


Textbook ofPsychiatry (3rd edition) published in 1980 have recognized that it is far too unwieldy a work for most readers—particularly for medical students. Accordingly, they have now condensed it to less than one-quarter of its original length to produce this excellent Modern Synopsis. Someof the original material hasbeen deleted, but generally each chapter represents an accurate abridgement of the text in the larger work and the Synopsisas a whole therefore demonstrates both the strengthsand weaknessesof its source. The volume covers a much wider field than tradi tional textbooks of similar SiZe@In addition to purely clinical topics such as the examination of psychiatric patients, the clinical manifestations of the various psychiatric disorders, psychological factors affecting physical conditions, psychiatric emergencies, psy chotherapy and physical treatments, there are a number of sections on non-clinical fields which the editors consider to be fundamental to clinical skills and understanding: behavioural, biological and sociocultural sciencesand theories of personality and of psychopathology. These latter topics are parti cularly well presented and are very likely to excite the readers' interest. All this will be valued highly by the British reader, but clearly the book is an expressionof the American approach, and particularly of the American systemof classification of psychiatric disorders (DSM III). This may discourage the undergraduate medical student from using it as his standard text, as may the understandable references to the United States legal system,but for the postgraduate trainee who is wiffing to acceptthat the Americans haveagreat deal to offer, the Synopsismight be his choice.


Many conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), use indices to select offers. When modeling how changes in the index weights effect program outcomes, one must account for the attributes of available land, and which landowners chose to participate. This paper introduces a methodology to account for changes in participation as index weights change. Data on the actual CRP (all offers received) are combined with an artificial population of available lands (based on National Resources Inventory data). Bootstrapping methods are used to calibrate estimates of participation probability, and to account for errors-in-variables when estimating how index scores effect this probability. Preliminary analysis suggests that accounting for participation effects will effect estimated impacts of changing the CRP's index weights.


Those who examine Plato's theory of forms have from Aristotle onwards tended to interpret it as a theory of universals. Enough in the dialogues appears to support such an interpretation for it not to be entirely wrongheaded. Nevertheless, the conception of forms as universals or as the meanings of general terms produces a baffled incredulity when we consider some of the things that Plato has to say about them. It would be outlandish enough anyway to be told that a universal is an object; it becomes positively outrageous when we are informed furthermore that the object which is the universal being a so-and-so is itself a very superior so-and-so, existing separate from and independent of the particulars it characterizes and causing them to have the nature that they do. Could Plato have seriously thought and meant things so foolish? I doubt it, for there is a more charitable, less Aristotelian, way to interpret what Plato says about forms. This is the way suggested by Eudoxus and those others who apparently drew on Anaxagoras' theoryof the homoiomeries in the exposition of Plato: a Platonic form is like an Anaxagorean stuff and accounts for the character of a particular 'as white does, by being mixed with the white thing' (Aristotle, Metaphysics 991314–19, 1079–8–23). In this paper I wish to build on Eudoxus' suggestion and show how all the most troubling contentions that Plato makes about forms turn out to be either true or at least quite plausible if we suppose that forms are meant, not as universals, but as chemical elements instead. Plato's theory of forms is not a grotesque misunderstanding of universals; it is a sober, intelligent, and largely true account of the elemental stuffs from which the world is made.


Spring Festival is the most glorious day for Chinese.There are a great number of legends about Spring Festival in the folk.The author chooses ten "nian" legends from "The Collection of Chinese Folk Stories" as study materials,and tries to explore the costumers and belief in Spring Festival from the points of time and rites.


Motor vehicle crashes due to stroke are uncommon when compared with accidents associated with epilepsy and alcohol abuse [1,2]. We have read with interest the article, 'Neurological emergencies as causes of accidents' by Fries et al., in the August 2005 issue of the European Journal of Emergency Medicine. This retrospective chart review study demonstrates that 4.1% of all accidents are secondary to acute neurological emergencies such as epileptic seizures (3.5%), stroke (0.5%) and Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) (0.1%) during a 2-year period of time [1].


A study on the design of heterogeneous transceivers using the software radio approach is presented. The objective of the study is to extend the research on software radio towards the design of multi-protocol transceivers which can communicate between two or more heterogeneous wireless access technologies. A critical overview of some of the current multiprotocol software radio devices is presented. This is then followed by a proposal for a dual band WiFi/WiMAX transceiver based on software radio techniques. This design incorporates a multiband antenna as well as an RF WiFi/WiMAX mode switch which uses the WiFi received signal strength (RSS) to perform handover between the underlying WiFi and WiMAX networks.


Strain induced in nanostructure semiconductor materials can result in different electronic properties. Coherent x‐ray diffraction (CXD) has emerged as a non‐destructive tool for imaging of strain and defects. In this work CXD is applied on a single ZnO nanorod, diffraction patterns from Bragg reflection are used to reconstruct the strain distribution in the samples at a resolution of 40 nm.


A packaging method for elastomeric packaging parts (1) such as a stopper for medicament container, the method comprising washing the elastomer component a (1), in the cleaned part of the first bag (10) a step of packaging, the first bag (10) in said elastomeric part (1) and drying the said first bag (10) a second bag having a leaktight and impermeable to the (20) a method of packaging in the steps of packaging into the second bag (20) a third bag (30), the vacuum between the second bag (20) and the third bag (30) and forming. .Field


This book promises in its introductory section to provide a unifying framework for many statistical techniques. It accomplishes this goal easily. Too often, linear regression and generalized linear models are taught in separate courses or texts and implemented in statistical packages with different functions, so that the elegance of the natural extension from one to the other is lost. Furthermore, the text covers important topics that are frequently overlooked in introductory courses, such as models for ordinal outcomes. The third edition of An Introduction to Generalized Linear Models comprises fourteen chapters, the first nine of which are focused on the more traditional generalized linear modeling topics: exponential families, estimation, inference, Normal models, and models for discrete outcomes. Survival analysis and clustered data (including both mixed models and generalized estimating equations) each receive the attention of a chapter, followed by three chapters on Bayesian analysis. The Bayesian chapters are new to the third edition of the text. The clarity of writing and the emphasis on the unifying elements of the different models presented are important factors that allow Dobson and Barnett to tackle so many topics in such a slim volume. Of course a volume such as this is not as comprehensive as, say, McCullagh and Nelder's (1989) classic Generalized Linear Models, however it provides many of the key features needed to understand and begin to use parametric regression models. The book contains many worked examples. The example topics are interesting—far more so than in many introductory texts. The diversity of examples alone makes the text a handy reference for instructors of a range of classes, from introductory level statistics for nonstatisticians to more advanced undergraduate statistics students in, for example, a repeated data modelling course. However, if the book is used as a class text, I would have to advise against assigning technical homework questions from the book. Although I have no complaint with the exercises—they are practical and at a suitable level for most intermediate-level undergraduates—the solutions are outlined online, so that a moderately resourceful student could easily make use of the material rather than their own grey matter. The exercises from the last three chapters on Bayesian analysis offer a fair amount of guidance and code and thus are useful learning tools. The inclusion of code from two statistical languages throughout the first eleven chapters (Stata and R) is welcome and well integrated into the text. The final


Dear editor Please find attached review comment according to reviewing criteria. The manuscript is well written. However some discussion on ecological importances should be included to enhance pratical contribution of the research. I do hope that my comment can help to improve quality of this manuscript in particular and quality of the GMD in general. Sincerely yours. Thu-Huong T. Hoang Hanoi University of Science and Technology 1. Does the paper address relevant scientific modelling questions within the scope of


Objective
To investigate the effect of abdominal obesity (AO) on urinary protein excretion rate (UAER) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with normal body mass index (BMI).

Methods
From May 2016 to October 2016, 223 newly diagnosed T2DM patients (in-patient and out-patient) with normal BMI (18.5 kg/m2≤BMI 100 cm2) and AO (-) group which had 110 cases (VFA≤100 cm2). Data about BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure and other clinical characteristics were collected. Levels of body fat ratio, VFA, fasting insulin (FINS), and UAER were examined. Independent correlation between AO and UAER of diabetes was analyzed by multivariate linear regression analysis.

Results
Subjects in AO (+) group had higher smoking rate, alcohol use, BMI, VFA, SBP, uric acid, C reactive protein, triglyceride, creatinine, fasting glucose, FINS (t=-22.070--2.153, all P<0.05) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (t=5.319, t=5.028, both P<0.001) than those in AO (-) group. UAER levels were also significantly higher in AO (+) group than in AO (-) group [29.4(22.2, 55.7) vs 18.4(15.4, 24.7) mg/24 h, t=12.540, P<0.001]. The correlation analysis demonstrated that VFA was positively correlated with UAER (r=0.462, P<0.001). The multivariate linear analysis showed that AO was an independent determinant of UAER in newly diagnosed T2MD patients with normal BMI (β=0.256, P=0.01).

Conclusions
VFA is positively associated with UAER in type 2 diabetes; AO is an independent risk factor for UAER in newly diagnosed T2MD patients with normal BMI.

Key words:
Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Body weight; Albuminuria; Obesity, abdominal; Visceral fat area


Red blood cells (RBCs) scatter light mainly in the forward direction, where the scattering phase function has a narrow peak. We performed an experimental investigation into the angular distribution of light scattered by blood in the small-angle domain. A highly diluted suspension of RBCs (hematocrits in the range 5 x 10(-5)-10(-2)) was illuminated with a He-Ne laser with 633 nm wavelength. We focused our research on two main topics: the scattering efficiency of the RBCs given by the mean scattering cross section and the scattering anisotropy obtained from the angular distribution of the scattered photons. The collimated beam transmission and the angular distribution of scattered light were measured and compared with the predictions of the effective phase function model. The RBCs' mean scattering cross section and scattering anisotropy were obtained by fitting of the experimental data.


With the development of the wireless communication system, the antenna has beenwidely used as an important tool in data transmission. However, there are manycharacteristic parameters for antenna need to be calculated by complex calculation.For example the mutual input impedance of dipole antenna, the Directivity coefficientand the Gain coefficient. Therefore, it is quite practically hard to implement by hand,especially for student who was studying on it. In order to solve this problem, thisthesis has establishes the calculation procedure for the complex parameters of antennaby using MATLAB software.


India has adopted the liberalization policy in 1991 which has reduced the trade barriers and investment restrictions and increased the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth of the economy. At the same time it has impacted the environment and energy usage. This paper examines the direction of causality between FDI inflows, trade, GDP, energy use and CO 2 by using Granger Causality test since liberalization. The findings of the paper revealed that there is one uni- directional (GDP and Energy Use) and bi-directional causal relationships (Imports and energy use) found. The direction of causality reveals that economy is majorly dependent on energy sources (Coal, Gas etc) for development and growth which makes India dependant on conventional sources of energy. In long run these conventional sources of production turns out as major factor of environmental degradations. The paper concludes the policy recommendations that will ensure environmental friendly investment and growth in India for future.


Constitutional complex chromosome rearrangements (CCRs) involve two or more breakpoints with exchange of segments among at least two chromosomes [Pai et al., 1980]. A combined technical approach (G banding, aCGH, and FISH) documented a de novo CCR in our patient. The patient was born at term with normal birth weight after an uneventful pregnancy. He has healthy, nonconsanguineous parents (the mother was 35, the father 38 years old), and healthy siblings. As a baby he was quiet and slept excessively. He walked at 15 months. At 3 years he was referred for a chromosome analysis because of global delayed development and minor anomalies. At 5 years he lagged around 1 year behind his peers. Language development was most delayed, especially pronunciation. At 5 years he could put two to three words together, but it was difficult to understand him. No anatomic malformations were identified that could explain his language difficulties. Motor development was only slightly delayed and no hypotonia was noted. He also has deep set eyes, a prominent philtrum, and a slightly prominent forehead (Fig. 1). In addition, his ears are slightly low set and posteriorly angulated, with normal shape. A physical eye examination at the age of 6.5 years old showed: (1) 3 mm chorioretinal coloboma inferonasally in the left eye; (2) hypermetropia of 2.5 diopters bilaterally and minor exophoria; (3) hypertelorism with an interpupillary distance (IPD) of 62 mm (>97th centile), inner canthal distance (ICD) of 35 mm (97th centile), and outer canthal distance (OCD) of 84 mm (75th centile) [Dollfus and Verloes, 2004]. He has atopic dermatitis and asthma. Gbanding at standard resolution, followedbyFISH with Whole Painting Libraries from chromosomes 2, 6, and 14, and with 2qtel and 6qtel probes (Vysis, Abbott Molecular Inc., Downers Grove, IL), defined the karyotype of the propositus as: 46,XY, t(2,6,14) der (2)(2pter ! 2q33.3::6p24.1 ! 6pter), der(6) (2qter>2q33.3::14q24.3! 14q11.2::6p24.1! 6qter), der(14)(14pter ! 14q11.2::14q24.3 ! 14qter).ish der(2)(wcp2þ,wcp6þ,tel6pþ).ish der(6)(wcp6þ, wcp14þ ,wcp2þ , tel2qþ ) . ish der (14)(wcp14þ) (Fig. 2). Array-CGH (44k B oligo array, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA; data analysis by BlueFuse, BlueGnome, Cambridge, UK) detected a deletion on chr6:7933252–10510600 bp, a duplication on chr7:142863310–143726151 bp, and a deletion on chr14:18590766–19851375 bp (supporting information Table I may be found in the online version of this article). Thepositionsof the aberrations refer toNCBI Build 35. The duplicated region on chromosome 7 was not studied further because it corresponds to a known Copy Number Variant (CNV, http://projects.tcag.variation). The chromosome 14 deletion also corresponds to a known CNV and it is enriched with intraand inter-chromosome segmental duplications. This region, however, was analyzed by FISH


A single common factor underlies variation in delinquent acts; thus, by statistical criteria, they appear "unitary." We extended the analysis of single-factoredness from delinquency itself to explanatory variables associated with delinquency (e.g., parental affection, personality traits, school involvement). Three factors were extracted from 15 explanatory variables. All three factors were statistically associated with delinquency, but the first factor extracted dominated in terms of variance explained (21.6% vs. 1.6% and 3.4%, respectively). This first factor had loadings from variables in conceptually diverse domains (e.g., family and peer relations, school success, and personality). A question for delinquency theory is why diverse explanatory variables load primarily on one factor, if theories postulate multiple and complex social and individual influences.


Background: During the early postnatal period, the impact of nutrition on DNA methylation has not been well studied in humans. The aim was to quantify the relationship between one-carbon metabolism nutrient intake during the first three years of life and global DNA methylation levels at four years. Design: Childhood dietary intake was assessed using infant feeding questionnaires, food frequency questionnaires, 4-day weighed food records and 24-h food records. The dietary records were used to estimate the intake of methionine, folate, vitamins B2, B6 and B12 and choline. The accumulative nutrient intake specific rank from three months to three years of age was used for analysis. Global DNA methylation (%5-methyl cytosines (%5-mC)) was measured in buccal cells at four years of age, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercial kit. Linear regression models were used to quantify the statistical relationships. Results: Data were collected from 73 children recruited from the Women and their Children's Health (WATCH) study. No association was found between one-carbon metabolism nutrient intake and global DNA methylation levels (P 0.05). Global DNA methylation levels in males were significantly higher than in females (median %5-mC: 1.82 vs. 1.03, males and females respectively, (P 0.05)). Conclusion: No association was found between the intake of one-carbon metabolism nutrients during the early postnatal period and global DNA methylation levels at age four years. Higher global DNA methylation levels in males warrants further investigation.


The mean zinc level in leucocytes from psoriasis patients was found to be decreased by a statistically significant amount, which was not the case in serum. On the basis of data from the literature and our own observations, the role of zinc is discussed in the development of immunologic events.


Xu et al. show that the lupus-associated polymorphism FcγRIIB-T232 has structural changes of the TM domain that reduces lateral mobility and inhibitory functions.


This article gives a brief overview of research on architecture by art historians at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and addresses some challenges for research on buildings within the discipline of Art history generally, and in the northernmost parts of Scandinavia particularly. Art history's history of monuments has during the last four to five decades been expanded by new theoretical and aesthetic perspectives on architecture, and is questioned by a more comprehensive and socially distinguished research on the built environment. Researchers on architecture in the northern areas experience  these tensions more directly, which thus provides an opportunity to question methods of writing architectural history.


The research project "Education, language and reading practices II" includes the reading of different contemporary cultural products intended to children. It is an offshoot of questions evidenced due to language hybridization processes. Among the actions of this research is the analysis of children's literature books, aiming at the identification and the characterization of the verbal-visual appeals used in its constitution and that mobilize the reader. This paper investigates the formation of a verbal-visual narrative, through a descriptive and analytical study developed with academic research, to identify possible signification processes to be realized by the reader. The analysis considers illustrations and words as evidence for the production of meaning and as interpretation possibility. The senses of the narrative emerge from the game among languages that overlap, and the studied book, as a hybrid narrative, reveals a literature proposal with emancipatory nature.


The photoelectric coupling technology can solve the problem of interference in the integration and the cross application of analog circuit and digital circuit. It can also shape the signal and reduce the chance of misoperation. This paper describes the properties of anti-interference technique in optoelectronic isolation and also the application of medical equipment interface, power driving, long-distance transmitting and zero cross-over circuits.


Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterised by chronic airway inflammation. Although studies show that control of asthma can be achieved using many drug classes in the majority of patients, surveys repeatedly show that the response is variable due to multifactorial reasons. This study was designed to evaluate the usage of Beta 2 agonist "bambuterol" or Leukotriene receptor antagonist "zafirlukast" as preventive drugs in chronic asthmatics. Patients and methods: Using Open-Label clinical trial, 44 patients with moderate persistent asthma were randomly enrolled into 2 groups; the first group contains 22 patients, treated with once daily 10 mg orally bambuterol for 4 weeks and the second group contains 22 patients, treated with twice daily 20 mg orally zafirlukast for 4 weeks. Frequency of asthma symptoms, pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were recorded at baseline and at the end point (after 4 weeks). Results: Both bambuterol and zafirlukast showed significant improvement in asthma symptoms, pulmonary function test values and pulse oximetry after 4-week therapy compared to the first visit (p < 0.05), however, bambuterol showed more significant improvement in PFT values compared to zafirlukast.


One outstanding challenge to understanding the behaviors of organisms and organ systems found in nature using CFD simulations lies in modeling the complex geometries and motions they generally exhibit. A route to overcoming this difficulty lies in employing imagery as a basis from which to begin creating such models. To this end we have developed a framework based on image segmentation techniques, followed by a level set based immersed boundary method that operates on a fixed Cartesian mesh. Level set motion is imposed using image morphing techniques, with optical flow used to set boundary conditions. With this approach, still images or movie files obtained from various imaging modalities can be automatically segmented so that flow solutions can be directly connected to image-derived geometries and boundary evolutions. The 2-dimensional methodology applied to a video sequence of an American eel swimming in a water tunnel apparatus is demonstrated presently, with current efforts to extend to 3-dimensions discussed briefly.


This article develops a multilevel model to explain social ventures' organizational outcome. The study examines the relationships between entrepreneurs' motivations and vision, ventures' strategy and environment, ventures' performance, and five-year survival of nascent Israeli firms. The findings suggest that an entrepreneur's motivation is reflected in their vision, which in turn is transformed into their ventures' strategies. Additionally, the environment is associated with entrepreneur's motivations and strategies and success. The results show that the latter was the only predictor of a ventures five-year survival.


As the land acquisition and site selection of DC grounding electrodes becomes more and more difficult, the use of vertical grounding electrodes is an effective solution. Based on the field-circuit coupling method, this paper calculates and analyzes the dispersion characteristics of HVDC grounding electrodes in different lengths, conductor spacing, earth models and arrangements. The results show that increasing the conductor length can effectively reduce the grounding resistance, maximum step voltage, maximum touch voltage and other parameters. When the conductor length is increased from 8m to 20m, the ground resistance dropped by about 49%, the maximum step voltage dropped by about 57%, and the maximum touch voltage dropped by about 59%. When the conductor spacing is small, increasing the conductor spacing can effectively reduce the above-mentioned characteristic parameters, and the effect decreases sharply as the spacing continues to increase. The research results of this article can provide references for the design of DC grounding electrodes.


Maximal power output occurs when subjects perform ballistic exercises using loads of ~30-50% of one-repetition maximum (1-RM). However, performing 1-RM testing prior to power measurement requires considerable time, especially when testing involves multiple exercises. Maximal isometric force (MIF), which requires substantially less time to measure than 1-RM, might be an acceptable alternative for determining the optimal load for power testing. PURPOSE: To determine the optimal load based on MIF for maximizing dynamic power output during leg press and bench press exercises. METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers (12 men and 8 women; mean +/- SD age: 31+/-6 y; body mass: 72 +/- 15 kg) performed isometric leg press and bench press movements, during which MIF was measured using force plates. Subsequently, subjects performed ballistic leg press and bench press exercises using loads corresponding to 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% of MIF presented in randomized order. Maximal instantaneous power was calculated during the ballistic exercise tests using force plates and position transducers. Repeated-measures ANOVA and Fisher LSD post hoc tests were used to determine the load(s) that elicited maximal power output. RESULTS: For the leg press power test, six subjects were unable to be tested at 20% and 30% MIF because these loads were less than the lightest possible load (i.e., the weight of the unloaded leg press sled assembly [31.4 kg]). For the bench press power test, five subjects were unable to be tested at 20% MIF because these loads were less than the weight of the unloaded aluminum bar (i.e., 11.4 kg). Therefore, these loads were excluded from analysis. A trend (p = 0.07) for a main effect of load existed for the leg press exercise, indicating that the 40% MIF load tended to elicit greater power output than the 60% MIF load (effect size = 0.38). A significant (p . 0.05) main effect of load existed for the bench press exercise; post hoc analysis indicated that the effect of load on power output was: 30% > 40% > 50% = 60%. CONCLUSION: Loads of 40% and 30% of MIF elicit maximal power output during dynamic leg presses and bench presses, respectively. These findings are similar to those obtained when loading is based on 1-RM.


The ever-growing Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) provides a powerful method to sense a series of critical industrial environments. This paper studies how to deploy the fixed number of IoT nodes so that the network lifetime is maximized in a sensing field with obstacles while guaranteeing the requirements of confident information coverage, network connectivity, energy efficiency, fault tolerance, and reliability. An IoT node deployment scheme based on an improved nature-inspired genetic algorithm is proposed to solve the defined constrained optimization problem. In the proposed IoT node deployment scheme, we utilize a population initialization based on the Delaunay triangulation to generate the better initial population, a chromosome modification operation to achieve both connectivity and coverage for each chromosome and a chromosome mirror-crossover operation to produce the better offsprings. Experimental results show that our deployment schema equips better performance in terms of longer network lifetime and comparable coverage ratio compared with the other four peer algorithms.


AbstractTo compensate for a shortage of clinical sites, a clinical was developed on campus to increase student understanding of pediatric nursing care, encourage collegial collaboration, enhance time management skills, and improve documentation. Six pediatric case studies were developed. In small teams, students cared for a panel of children utilizing resources from the simulation laboratory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, and a community clinic. More than 95 percent of 110 students surveyed found the experience to be beneficial. A low-cost guided learning experience can be beneficial to enhance the learning of students in regions with limited clinical and monetary resources.


Abstract This study tested the effect of cooperative concept mapping on knowledge achievement and transfer in peace education on 159 social studies students using a quasi-experimental research design. Four intact classes—two each in rural and urban areas—were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, and two instruments—Peace Education Achievement Test and Peace Education Transferability Test—were used for data collection. Findings showed that cooperative concept mapping unveiled students' misconceptions in peace education and their perceptions about violent behaviors, raised students' consciousness about asymmetric structures undermining peace, empowered them with ability to establish connections between intrinsic and extrinsic causes of conflict, and encouraged practical suggestions on how to resolve conflict and promote peace through enactment of peace virtues. Bivariate associations showed that students' achievement in one context correlated with their transfer of learning in another context, with stronger correlation exhibited among experimental students. We attributed the stronger correlation recorded among experimental students to the "concepts connection" and visual effect occasioned by concept maps and overt effort of experimental teachers to create cooperative, experiential, and learner-centered lessons. Also, our assumption that female students will do better than male students in peace education was met. Implications of findings for curriculum review, instructional delivery and teacher education were discussed.


The region of Sidi Boughaba which is an important biological reserve (Northwest of Mehdia, Morocco) offers a favorable conditions for the development of diversity of the wildlife. It is characterized by a subhumid bioclimate and a mild winter. The objective of the present study is to make an entomological inventory in five different areas of floristic cortege perspective (herbaceous, shrub) and other medium (soil, water). A statistical study was performed by environmental indices of composition and structure. Sampling was done from mid-April 2013 to December 2013. The analysis of the entomofauna revealed the existence of 73 species distributed in 7 Systematic orders and 28 families. Beetles are represented by 19 species, Orthoptera by 13, Diptera by 12 species; Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera are represented by 8 species for each; Odonata come in last place with 5 species. Similarly, the results showed that the values of Shannon-Weaver diversity vary between 2.654 and 3.411 which express the diversity of the sampled population.


In view of the actual situation of the students in China, such as the mind is not enough mature, operational ability is poor, this paper puts forward to CDIO engineering education mode based on MCDIO education mode, MCDIO model emphasizes the students' mental education, system building ability. The educational mode in the mental training mode, cooperation between colleges and curriculum group mode, can cultivate the students' psychology to bear ability, ability of autonomic learning, problem analysis and problem solving skills, team cooperation ability, language expression ability, comprehensive ability to improve the students' real engineering. Therefore, MCDIO mode is a new method for the engineering and technical personnel training.


The resolving power of spectrophotometric assisted mathematical techniques was demonstrated for the simultaneous determination of the challenging ternary mixture of paracetamol (PAR), orphenadrine citrate (Or.cit) and caffeine (CAF), where PAR, which has the highest absorptivity, is formulated in a very high concentration compared with Or.cit and CAF. Simultaneous area ratio subtraction (SARS), derivative spectrophotometry (D), constant multiplication (CM), and dual wavelength resolution techniques (DW) were able to resolve the three drugs. In SARS, PAR concentration was determined directly at 304 nm in the division spectra using PAR normalized spectrum as a divisor. After subtraction of the constant and multiplying by PAR normalized spectrum; CAF and Or.cit can be determined by first and fourth derivative methods, respectively, from the division spectra. Also, Or.cit and CAF can be obtained by the DW method and CM method, respectively, upon the division of the obtained ratio spectra by CAF spectrum. The proposed methods were validated with good accuracy and precision over the concentration ranges of 20-90, 3-40 and 1-20 mg/mL for PAR, Or.cit, and CAF, respectively. Specificity of the proposed methods was assessed by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures containing different ratios of the cited drugs. The proposed methods were applied successfully for the determination of PAR, Or.cit, and CAF in their dosage form without any interference.


The method presented for the determination of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, bis(dialkoxythiophosphinoyl) disulfide and elemental sulfur in the presence of each other is based on thiomercurimetric titrations. Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate is determined by titration with p-dimethylaminophenylmercury(II) acetate with Michler's thioketone as indicator. The sulfur and bis(dialkoxythiophosphinoyl) disulfide are determined after their reduction. Bis(dialkoxythiophosphinoyl) disulfide is reduced by using tributylphosphine and titration as for zinc dialkyldithiophosphate. The sulfur is treated with bis(2-methoxyethoxy) dihydride and titrated with o-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid in the presence of dithiofluorescein as indicator. The method is simple, rapid, reproducible and accurate and samples do not require separation or other preliminary stages prior to their analysis. The method is suitable for monitoring changes in thiophosphorus lubricating oil additives during engine runs.


This paper introduces an improved surface matching algorithm that can be used to reconstruct the surface topography of an object that is scanned from multiple overlapping regions by an AFM. The essence of the image matching technique is stitching two neighboring images intentionally overlapped with each other. To enhance the computational efficiency, this paper introduces a pyramid matching algorithm which makes use of reduced images for primary images. The results show that the proposed image pyramid matching algorithm is useful for enhancing the computational efficiency.


In 1952, Elizabeth Pepperell—the then Assistant Director of the Industrial Society—ran the first all‐women conference, specifically to encourage the development of women at work. Sixty attended, and thus began the Industrial Society's work for women which has been maintained ever since.


Internalization of autoantibodies against double‐stranded DNA (anti‐dsDNA) is crucial to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Anti‐dsDNA may bind to cell‐surface targets in order to facilitate the subsequent cell penetration of the anti‐dsDNA. In this study, we observed that the 9D7 monoclonal anti‐dsDNA autoantibody (9D7 mAb) penetrates into Jurkat cells via a novel alternative pathway. Endocytosis inhibitors or a lipid‐raft inhibitor did not significantly change the penetration of 9D7 mAb into the Jurkat cells. However, heparin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate B, decaarginine and chondroitinase ABC significantly suppressed the internalization and the 9D7 mAb inhibited the internalization of Tat‐GFP. Moreover, the penetration of the 9D7 mAb was significantly reduced in proteoglycan‐deficient cells (pgs A‐745). Positively charged amino acids including arginine are commonly found in the CDR of the 9D7 mAb. Point mutations to the arginine residues in the CDR of the H chain of the recombinant 9D7 mAb significantly attenuated its DNA‐binding and cell‐penetration abilities. These findings indicate that cell penetration of anti‐dsDNA is due to the electrostatic interactions of arginine residues in the CDR with the negatively charged sulfated polysaccharides on the cell surface.


A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained in a 64-year-old woman whose body temperature was 32°C. The ECG showed sinus bradycardia with a prolonged PR interval, a prolonged QRS complex, a prolonged QT interval, and a prominent J wave that was distinguishable in all leads (Fig. 1). Forty-eight hours later, after the patient had been rewarmed to 37°C, an ECG showed progressive normalization of the sinus rate, QT normalization, and a decrease in the amplitude and duration of the J waves (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1 A 12-lead electrocardiogram obtained at a body temperature of 32°C. Note Osborn waves, which have an extra deflection at the end of the QRS complex.

Fig. 2 A 12-lead electrocardiogram obtained 48 hours later—after rewarming of the patient to 37°C—is normal.

Osborn waves, also known as J waves, camel-hump waves, or hypothermic waves, are best seen in the inferior and lateral precordial leads. They become more prominent as the body temperature decreases, and they resolve gradually with rewarming.1


Interest in conserving energy is motivating homeowners and builders to reduce natural infiltration to very low levels. This large reduction in ventilation can lead to indoor moisture problems and, more importantly in terms of human health, increased levels of indoor pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and radon. This paper reports residential air-quality measurements conducted by LBL and, specifically, discusses the use of mechanical ventilation systems with air-to-air heat exchangers as a promising means of pollutant control. A particular advantage of this control strategy is that the heat exchanger permits recovery of a large portion of the heat that would normally be lost in a simple exhaust ventilation system, and therefore maintains the energy efficiency of the house. An economic analysis is presented showing that installation of these systems in newly constructed homes is cost-effective in most regions of the country.


Afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are emitted from expanding forward shocks, which are expected to have magnetic fields much stronger than the interstellar field, although the origin of the field is a long-standing problem. Two field amplification mechanisms, plasma kinetic instabilities and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, have been discussed so far. The coherence-length scales of the fields amplified by these two processes are different by 7–10 orders of magnitude, and the polarimetric observations may distinguish them. We construct a semi-analytic model of the forward-shock afterglow polarization under the assumption of hydrodynamic-scale turbulent magnetic field. We perform numerical calculations of synchrotron polarization for the isotropic turbulence and the zero viewing angle. We find that the polarization degrees are ∼1% when the field coherence-length scale in the fluid co-moving frame is of the order of the thickness of the shocked regions. This range of polarization degree is comparable to that of the observed late-phase optical afterglows. Our model also shows that the radio polarization degrees are comparable to the optical ones on average but can be higher than the optical ones at some time intervals. The polarization angles are shown to vary randomly and continuously. These polarimetric properties are clearly different from the case of plasma kinetic instability. Simultaneous polarimetric observations of GRB afterglows at the radio and optical bands have recently started, which will help us constrain the magnetic field amplification mechanism.


This article traces the contributions to psychological theory and practice of Theodore R. Sarbin over a career that began in the 1930s and ended with his death in 2005. His early research on clinical vs. actuarial prediction and on hypnosis reflected a disposition to be critical of received ways of thinking in psychology. He came to think of many of the terms in the psychological vocabulary as ossified metaphors turned into myths. His promotion of role theory within social psychology gave priority to social structure as the key to understanding conduct, and he saw the self and social identity as products of the interaction of the individual with society. He rejected both mentalism and mechanism as adequate approaches to psychology. He turned to contextualism as the preferred world view for psychology, and to narrative as a way of understanding the flow of human life.


The article is devoted to solving the problem of identifying cause-and-effect relationships. A method of constructing a domain model based on data mining, known as formal conceptual analysis, is considered. It allows to solve problems of structuring of the available information. The purpose of data analysis technology is the production of new knowledge, identifying relationships (links) in the data. This method is used in the article to solve the problem of diagnostics of technical systems.


The authors conducted a survey of personnel managers to learn more about the prevalence of employee drug use and employer substance abuse programs.


The instantaneous moving mode of sand mass is divided into 4 types,namely: rolling,jumping,suspending,and running away,when the wind speed reaches the threshold velocity of sand-driving wind.The instantaneous wind speed of the sand mass was observed and recorded respectively in these areas of the 3 typical soils(sandy loam,sandy soil and aeolian sandy soil) in Nenjiang sandy land at the 4 kinds of circumstances above.Results showed that in these areas of 3 kinds of soil types,sandy loam,sandy soil and aeolian sandy soil,we could prevent the wind-sand activity from creating when the wind speed would be controlled under 6.3m·s-1,6.4m·s-1 or 7.2m·s-1.


By starting with the simplest expression of the first order linear wave equation (Dirac's equation) and by confining the elements of the coefficients (matrices) to the quaternions, H, it is shown that a three " family " structure with three " colors " with charges of 1/3 and 2/3 results with a minimum of assumptions. It is shown how color neutral particles are required for a positive definite probability and further how " colored " gluons are a part of the formalism. The interactions between families (" flavor " conservation) is not accounted for. of attention as a mathematical formalism for expressing physics because of the greater richness of the three non-commutative independent imaginaries (i, j, k ∈ H). However in making the transition from the complex field, C, one must be aware that many theorems, mathematical expressions and formulae 1 assume that the unit imaginary commutes and thus are not valid. De Leo and Rotelli [13] also stress this point and caution that variational calculus and tensor analysis are altered from the traditional approach. An important consideration is the one-to-many transition from the commuting imaginary scalar i = √ −1 to an imaginary in H. The quaternion ring has received considerable mathematical attention (outside of physics) [5, 8, 14, 15, 16] in an effort to define analyticity, holomorphic functions, and the equivalent to Cauchy's integral formula but apparently no consensus has been reached on the best way to proceed because of the non-commutative nature and the resulting left-right dichotomy. This article does an ab initio development of the Dirac formalism using simplier mathematical techniques than is usually found in order 1) to avoid traps by formalisms applicable only for commuting mathematical rings and 2) quite frankly, to confine the author to his region of technical competence. In C, Dirac's equation is often given as (iγ µ ∂ µ − m)ψ = 0 which involves i ∈ C and thus forces the first decision point in transitioning to another mathematical ring. It is well known (see, for example, [3] for a historical review) that only three mathematical rings, R, (the " reals "), C, (the " complexes ") and H, (the " quaternions ") are candidates for constructing quantum mechanical descriptions-call them QM R , QM C , and QM H , repectively. Complexified quaternions, of the form q = a + bi + cj + dk; a, b, c, …


If the maximum sample size for a group sequential t-test is calculated on the basis of a prior estimate of the variance, power at a fixed distance from the null hypothesis is not robust to misspecification of the variance. We propose a new group sequential t-test, based on Stein's (1945) two-stage test, in which we use internal estimates of the variance to update the maximum sample size, and allow early stopping to reject the null hypothesis through a Lan & DeMets (1983) error-spending function. We evaluate our procedure's performance and show that it closely controls the type I and II error rates.


The paper presents the clustering algorithm for data with missing values. In this approach both marginalisation and imputation are applied. The result of the clustering is the type-2 fuzzy set / rough fuzzy set. This approach enables the distinction between original and imputed data. The method can be applied to the data sets with all attributes lacking some values. The paper is accompanied by the numerical examples of clustering of synthetic and real-life data sets.


Adoptive Green Building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout life cycle from the selection to its operation. The central goal of  paper  towards green buildings are to facility management and training in the operation issues and it extend to include efficient use of energy water and  save other resources as well as the reduction of waste, pollution and environmental degradation. Time management approach in the search of library required material identifies the critical importance of saving energy by the building occupants/user. In addition as air and lighting quality. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a non- profit international organisation give points based green building certification. Buildings are a series of systems including the structure not just the structure or the form and shape of the building. Green must be sustainable to be successful. It is not an instantaneous thing. Green Design must be measurable interms of performance.


The Kramers-Kronig self-phasing observed in coherently coupled fiber laser arrays is experimentally shown to originate from a change in the supermode intensity distribution. The conditions that lead to accurate self-phasing are modeled and experimentally confirmed.


A one-pot transformation of aldehydes into α,β-unsaturated aldehydes was developed using both N-benzyl-N-methylamine and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as catalysts and MnO2 as a terminal oxidant. An oxidative and enantioselective reaction of aldehydes and nitromethane was established using both diphenylprolinol silyl ether and DDQ as a catalyst with MnO2 as a terminal oxidant, in which synthetically important β-substituted γ-nitro aldehydes were obtained with excellent enantioselectivity.


Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization has been successfully applied to polymerize acrylonitrile with dibenzyl trithiocarbonate as the chain-transfer agent. The key to success is ascribed to the improvement of the interchange frequency between dormant and active species through the reduction of the activation energy for the fragmentation of the intermediate. The influence of several experimental parameters, such as the molar ratio of the chain-transfer agent to the initiator [azobis(isobutyronitrile)], the molar ratio of the monomer to the chain-transfer agent, and the monomer concentration, on the polymerization kinetics and the molecular weight as well as the polydispersity has been investigated in detail. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and H-1 NMR analyses have confirmed the chain-end functionality of the resultant polymer.


In this paper, two soft-switching single-stage converters are proposed: A Zeta-based inverter and a SEPIC-based rectifier. These two converters are capable of both stepping up and stepping down the voltage in a wide range. Moreover, these converters use a very small film capacitor at the link, instead of electrolytic capacitors that are used in most of the conventional two-stage inverters and rectifiers. Electrolytic capacitors have a shorter lifetime compared to other components of a power electronic converter and their elimination significantly improves the reliability of a converter. This feature is feasible due to having an ac link voltage instead of a dc link. All the semiconductor switches in the proposed converters benefit from zero-current-switching with the help of a very small inductor placed in series with the link capacitor with no auxiliary/additional active switch/diode. Due to the small size of the link capacitor, which is the main energy transferring component of the converters, the dynamic response of both converters is very fast, making these converters suitable for very fast response (VFR) applications. Furthermore, a high-frequency transformer can be employed at the link in case galvanic isolation is needed, thanks to the high-frequency ac voltage of the link. In this paper the principles of the operation of these converters are explained, and their performance is evaluated through simulation and experiments.


There is a reward to be had from reading this book but mainly for the historian. Mathematics, and science, are collective subjects, in the sense that contemporary ideas are formed from the efforts of many workers and are most easily studied in modern work, rather than the original. The modern contributions to mis volume, short as they are, do provide useful material but Thiele's original writing remains difficult. A better perspective can be obtained from Anders Hald's splendid and magisterial A History of Mathematical Statistics from 1750 to 1930, New York, Wiley 1998, which includes material on Thiele's work.


B1-B2 transition in LiF at about 1.3 Mbar which might make the results of DAC and shock experiments consistent with each other. We compare DAC results for the NaCl melting curve and show that they are in agreement with our previous MD simulations. We suggest an explanation which might solve the controversy between the high and low iron melting temperatures as well as the controversy between DAC low and MD high MgO melting temperatures. The paper is organized as follows. First, we explain the two models for the interatomic interaction which have been used in our MD simulations. Further, some technical details of our MD simulations are also provided. Second, the correct melting temperature for LiF ~for a given model of the interatomic interaction! is calculated and the structure of the liquid and solid LiF at the melting temperature is compared along the melting curve. Finally, we compare and discuss previous MD simulations and DAC experiments for NaCl and MgO together with presented MD LiF melting curve and suggest a mechanism which is ~possibly! important to take into account while performing DAC experiments.


Insufficient ionic conductivity and freeze of electrolyte at low temperature (low-T) are considered the main problems for low-T electrochemical energy storage. Here, the electrolyte with freezing point lower than -130 ℃ is developed by using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an additive with the molar fraction of 0.3. The 2M-0.3 electrolyte (by adding DMSO with a molar fraction of 0.3 to the aqueous solution of 2 M NaClO4) exhibits sufficient ionic conductivity of 0.11 mS cm-1 at -50 ℃. The combination of spectral investigations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation reveals that the hydrogen bonds are stably formed between DMSO and water molecules and this is taking the role for the electrolyte working at an ultra-low-T. Using DMSO as the electrolyte additive, the aqueous rechargeable alkali-ion batteries (AABs) can work well even at -50 ℃. This work provides a simple and effective strategy to develop low-T AABs.


Shows how genetic programming can be applied to the task of evolving the neural oscillators that produce the coordinated movements of human-like bipedal locomotion. In biomechanical engineering research, robotics and neurophysiology, it is of major interest to clarify the mechanism of human bipedal walking. This serves as the basis for developing several applications, such as rehabilitation tools and humanoid robots. Nevertheless, because of the complexity of the neuronal system that interacts with the body dynamics system to make walking movements, much is left unknown about the details of the locomotion mechanism. Researchers have previously been looking for the optimal model of the neuronal system by trial and error. In this paper, we apply genetic programming to induce the model of the nervous system automatically and show its effectiveness by simulating a human bipedal gait with the obtained model. Our experimental results are preliminary but they show some promising evidence for further improvements.


This chapter provides some reflections on the educational reforms conducted by the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). It first discusses the Vietnamization of the French educational system during the first decade of the republic. This process contributed to a sharp rise in the social demand for education at all levels, which in turn supported the growth of new kinds of schools such as private universities and community colleges. Through the author's personal experience working in the Faculty of Education, the National Wards High School, and a private Catholic school, the chapter reveals snapshots of the development of the diverse and dynamic educational system in the RVN. In the conclusion, the chapter briefly recounts the author's work as an expert on education from the United States to help the post-1975 Vietnamese government reform its educational system.


The author eurveya and interprets previoue attempts to define and measure capacity, and analyses the uee of the capacity concept in economic models.


The article examines forms and methods of public administration in the transitional society in terms of the adequacy of its arsenal to the goals and objectives of social modernization. The authors assess strategic and tactical capabilities of the established management practices to meet the challenges of organization and self-organization of social life; analyze the resources and legal sufficiency of the administrative-territorial unit of power for operational and creative management. The authors believe that there is a serious barrier for effective relations of the federal center and the subjects - uncertainty of the integrated system of uniform and permanent principles, which does not allow both levels to function as a single social institution and prevents establishing a stable and productive power "vertical". It is difficult to increase the manageability of regions as administrative-territorial forms without establishing the whole complex of relations between different levels of administration. The author describe the main control mechanism at the current stage of Russian reforms - regulation, its nature, functions and technological basis; define the basis for implementing two leading principles of regulation in the social and economic life of the country and its regions - territorial and sectoral; underline the need for the subjects of management (authorities) to overcome the existing imbalances within their competence, or by the coordination of administrative nominality and reality.


Austenitic stainless steels are of prime importance in many industrial sectors because of their excellent corrosion resistance; however, their poor mechanical and tribological features lead to their reduced applicability. In this regard, low-temperature cathodic cage plasma nitriding (CCPN) can be used to improve surface properties of steels without scarifying the inherent corrosion resistance. In this study, AISI-316 samples are processed in CCPN reactor at a temperature of 400 °C, for the treatment time of 4 h, at a pressure of 150 Pa and variable pulsed duty cycle (15–75%). The microstructure and mechanical features are analyzed using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microhardness tester and ball-on-disc wear tester. The anodic polarization test in 3.5% NaCl is conducted to examine the corrosion properties. The results show that hardness is enhanced up to 1327 HV at low duty cycle, which is considerably higher than base material (278 HV). The wear rate is found to be reduced up to 90% over base material by processing at low duty cycle. The base material exhibits severe abrasive wear, and the nitrided sample has dominant adhesive wear. The corrosion rate is found to be reduced up to 95% over base material for the sample nitrided at low duty cycle. This study shows that wear and corrosion resistance in CCPN can be significantly boosted by reducing the pulsed duty cycle.


A series of binary and ternary rare earth (Gd, Eu, Tb) complexes with ortho hydroxyl benzoic acid, pam aminobenzoic acid, nicotinic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline were synthesized. Phosphorescence spectra and lifetimes of Gd complexes were measured and the lowest triplet state energies of gadolinium binary complexes end the intramolecular energy transfer efficiencies were determined. The luminescence properties and energy transfer process of Eu3+ and Tb3+ complexes were discussed.


In this work, scanning electron micrographs of copolymer beads based on methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) and vinyl triethoxysilane (VTES) were used to construct multivariate image regression models. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and swelling measurements indicated that increasing the silicone concentration (VTES) of the copolymers enhances the amount of pores and porosity percent. Scanning electron micrographs of the synthesized copolymers with different VTES concentrations were used to construct two soft models, which were able to relate the VTES concentration and the porosity percent of the copolymers with their SEM images. The constructed models were the three-way partial least squares analysis (N-PLS) and unfolded principal component regression (unfold-PCR). The predictive ability of the constructed models were evaluated by a test set. The results showed the models were able to effectively predict the VTES concentration and the porosity percent of the copolymers using their corresponding SEM images.


In the present paper, we obtain the approximate solutions of Fractional Order Riccati Differential Equation by Generalized Differential Transform Method (GDTM). The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo sense. Next we give eight numerical examples for sake of illustration of our method. Finally, we demonstrate our findings by means of two graphs by making use of MATHEMATICA software. AMS Subject Classification: 26A33, 35A22, 65L05, 34A08


MAO Ze-dong is a great thinker, theorist, statesman and strategist, his thought on war and peace is very rich in content. Many of his profound expositions are still applicable even today, e. g. , on the root cause of war, heightening vigilance and getting prepared against war, love for peace but no fear of war, strengthening national defense; conventional war and nuclear war; ambition of American imperialism to dominate the world; the dual character of imperialism; making use of various contradictions; adherence to the five principles of peaceful coexistence; support for the wars of various nations against imperialism; formation of the broadest possible united front; the possibility of weak and small nations to defeat the strong and big nations and the unity of the third world. Studies on these expositions will help gain a deeper understanding of DENG Xiao-ping theory and the important thought of the "three represents "in respect to war and peace and follow correct strategies and tactics so that we will win a longer period of international peace and favorable environment along border areas and concentrate our efforts on building a well ?off society in an allround way.


Network behavior has become an important research branch in the field of computer networks,it is an important tools to help people understand the network,management network,and better use of the network. The article created a network behavior analysisresearch model,Using this model,the basic behavioral characteristics were analyzed in the campus network.


Chaucer ' s Reeve's Tale occupies an honored place in the brief history o f sociolinguistic analysis concerned with Midd le English. Wi th this fabliau, Chaucer becomes the first English au thor to present dialectal speech as such regional var ia t ion foregrounded against a ba c kg round of ' s t andard ' languageJ The Reeve's Tale features two Cambr idge Univers i ty students who hail f rom '[f]er in the nor th ' and speak with distinctive northernisms, using, for example, the un rounded nor thern reflex o f OE ~t (as in ' swa ' ) and, in thi rd-person singular endings, ' -s ' ra ther than ' th ' (A 4015). 2 The tale has natural ly had a consti tuency among those interested in Middle English linguistics. However, those who have a t tended to the distinctive linguistic features o f the Reeve's Tale have typical ly found it a small par t of their brief to relate the linguistics (usually, dialectal phonology, morphology , and / or lexis) to a general reading of the tale. Similarly, those scholars whose research is not pr imar i ly in the history or use of English have found little to say about the language that guarantees the Reeve Tale a spot in the annals of both the 'o ld ' philologists and the 'new' sociolinguists. Indeed, the modern history of crit icism of the Reeve's Tale could still largely be sorted into two piles produced by the camps J. R. R. Tolkien identified in his seminal 1934 study: 'ph i lo logy ' and ' l i terary studies' . 3 I argue that Chaucer ' s phi lological or linguistic interests were more b r o a d than the dialectology with which Tolkien and others following his lead deal, and that they suppor t indeed, are intrinsic to a ' l i terary ' reading o f the text that focuses on the Reeve 's narra t ive identi ty and announced poetics / hermeneutics. 4


MHC class II is expressed in restricted lineages and is modulated in response to pathogens and inflammatory stimuli. This expression is controlled by MHC CIITA , which is transcribed from multiple promoters. Although factors required for induction of CIITA are well characterized, less is known about the mechanisms leading to repression of this gene. During plasma cell differentiation, B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (PRDM1/Blimp-1) represses promoter (p)III of CIITA , responsible for constitutive expression in B cells. pIV is inducible by IFN- (cid:1) in epithelia, macrophages and B cells. An IFN regulatory factor-element (IRF-E) in CIITA -pIV, which is bound by IRF-1 and IRF-2, is necessary for this response. This site matches the PRDM1/ Blimp-1 consensus binding site, and PRDM1/Blimp-1 is expressed in cell lineages in which this promoter is operative. We, therefore, investigated whether PRDM1 regulates CIITA -pIV and found that PRDM1 bound to CIITA -pIV in vivo and the IRF-E in vitro. PRDM1 repressed IFN- (cid:1) -mediated induction of a CIITA -pIV luciferase reporter in a fashion dependent on an intact consensus sequence and competes with IRF-1/IRF-2 for binding to the IRF-E and promoter activation. In human myeloma cell lines that express IRFs, PRDM1 occupancy of CIITA -pIV was associated with resistance to IFN- (cid:1) stimulation, while short interfering RNA knockdown of PRDM1 led to up-regulation of CIITA . Our data indicate that PRDM1 is a repressor of CIITA -pIV, identifying a target of particular relevance to macrophages and epithelia. These findings support a model in which PRDM1/ Blimp-1 can


The person who is most responsible for the success of children is their parents. Because children born and raised by parents are the property of parents and cannot be contested. To carry out these heavy obligations, parents must have adequate knowledge and skills in order to achieve what they aspire to be, namely making children pious who are intelligent and of good character. The reality today is that there are still many parents who do not know that their role is very large in educating children so that they do not think and do not even make the maximum effort in educating children. Most parents submit their children's education to other people who are trusted, such as teachers at school, in the course and tutoring, and teachers at the Koran, so they do not pay attention to learning at home. The effect is a lot of personality that is not praiseworthy even failure in learning in school. To overcome this problem, parents and children are coaching through Community Reading Gardens.

Keywords: Learning Society, Parents, Responsibility, Knowledge, Coaching


Among the numerous existing neural network models, there are only a few bidirectional neural networks. None of these bidirectional models are based on multilayer perceptrons. These models also have limitations which have prevented their popularity. The authors have designed bidirectional neural networks (BDNNs) based on multilayer perceptrons trained by a generalised form of the error backpropagation algorithm. They can be trained as either associative memories or cluster centroid finders. This gives the network new abilities and enables the authors to design powerful data representation techniques which are a key factor in reducing network generalisation error. The authors demonstrate applications of this approach to extracting meaning from neural networks, and finding the centers of clusters. This work could be a step towards simulating via the behaviour of artificial neural networks clustering methods closer to that of the biological brain. BDNNs may also be used as a simulation tool for evaluating some major cognitive psychology theories such as prototypes and dual-code theory. The successful and promising results of applying BDNNs on two real world problems (including missing and noisy attributes) as well as some artificial data sets is reported.


Since the introduction of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty by Dotter and Judkins in 1964, there have been marked changes in the technique, apparatus, and experience, all of which have tended to increase its use substantially while reducing the frequency of complications.'2 Nevertheless, as with all invasive procedures, complications will occur.3 Knowledge of how to avoid them and how to treat them should they occur is essential. The risk olconiplications is related to the site of the angioplasty and the nature of the lesion. Complications are more frequent during procedures on the femoral, popliteal, and tibia! vessels than in iliac lesions. They also are more frequent in long stenoses and occlusions. We discuss the complications we have experienced, our methods for preventing these, and our approach to their management. For the sake of discussion, we have divided the considerations into the puncture site, the angioplasty site, distal ernbolization, and systemic problems.


The essential UML logic diagrams are the class diagrams: they represent the classes of objects that make up a program. Object diagrams are used as the basis to show scenarios of dynamic evolution of the software. The use of object diagrams to depict static structure is very rare. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of static object diagrams can improve the comprehension of software systems. We conducted a study with 17 graduate students during a software engineering course. The students were asked to answer questions about a software system. The system was described either with a class diagram or with both a class diagram and an object diagram. The student asked multiple choice questions on four different systems. This study revealed that there is a statistically significant difference in the comprehension achievement for two of the systems. The effect of the presence of object diagrams can be classified of medium size. These results allow us to formulate new research questions that guide our future work in this area.


Tourism in humanist perspectivePoznan, Poland24-25.10.2008Cultural tourism in the light of Polish humanist theory of tourismIntroductory reflectionIndicated in the title humanist theory of tourism has been yet developer, has been created by the environment of theoreticians of this field operating in Poland, by, among others, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, pedagogues and historians. It is a process which has been occurring for the last few years including research work of scientists, their scientific meetings and publishing the effects of their scientific investigations (Obodynski, Cynarski, 2005a, 2005b; Krawczyk, Lewandowska- Tarasiuk, Sienkiewicz, 2007; Cynarski, Obodynski, 2008; Winiarski, 2008). This purpose has been served well especially by consecutive symposiums and conferences (Cynarski, Obodynski, 2004; Cynarski, 2006) devoted strictly to this deepened humanist and socio-cultural scientific reflection.An expression of a certain phenomenon of popularity of cultural tourism in Poland (as a field of science) has been independent publication of 6 books with 'cultural tourism' in the title this year in our country. Those are Turystyka kulturowa. Przewodnik metodyczny (Cultural tourism. A methodological guidebook) by Karolina Buczkowska (2008), Spotkania, konflikty, dialogi. Analiza wybranych obszarow kultury fizycznej i turystyki kulturowej (Meetings, conflicts, dialogues. Analysis of selected areas of physical culture and cultural tourism) by Wojciech J. Cynarski (2008), Turystyka kulturowa (Cultural tourism) by Tadeusz Jedrysiak (2008), Turystyka kulturowa. Fenomen, potencja1, perspektywy (Cultural tourism. Phenomenon, potential, perspectives) by Armin Mikos von Rohrscheidt (2008), Turystyka kulturowa. Spojrzenie geograficzne (Cultural tourism. A geographical outlook) edited by Andrzej Kowalczyk (2008), or finally the book prepared for the next conference entitled W kregu humanistycznej refleksji nad turystyk1 kulturow1 (In the circle of humanist reflection on cultural tourism) edited by Marek Kazimierczak (2008). Dr. Buczkowska wrote a valuable academic handbook which includes the necessary minimum of knowledge about cultural tourism - its definitions, history and present-day signs. Professor Cynarski Showed the areas of dialogue of cultural tourism and sportive culture, material heritage (architecture) and mass culture in his monograph (Obodynski, 2008). The book by Jedrysiak includes quite a lot of interesting contents about the factors of development of cultural tourism, cultural heritage, the forms of cultural tourism, perspectives of development, economic aspects, chances and threats of its development. Dr. A. Mikos von Rohrscheidt presented basic terms, the division - types of cultural tourism, the potential and offer of cultural tourism in Poland as well as a proposal of a tool for evaluation of a given area with respect to tourist-cultural values. The book by A. Kowalczyk is a collection of works devoted to theoretical aspects and empirical premises and examples. Finally the collective monograph by Kazimierczak includes the total of 43 texts. On 434 pages the team of authors present numerous issues and problems analyzed on various levels of abstraction and with the use of various methodological premises. Moreover, Scientific Year's Issue "Ido - Ruch dla Kultury / Movement for Culture" published in Poland has a separate section entitled "Cultural tourism" and Volume 8 issued in 2008 included interesting pieces of work by Professor Wil Munsters and Dr. Anna Dluzewska.Interesting contents can be found in the new academic handbook Turystyka w naukach humanistycznych (Tourism in humanist sciences) (Winiarski, 2008). It includes works by 10 authors whose names are significant in the environment. This collection has chapters devoted to, respectively, philosophy of tourism, history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, pedagogy, theology, semiotics and methodology of studies in tourism. …


The hydrogen solubility in zirconia (yttria stabilized zirconia, YSZ) using a tritium imaging plate (IP) technique has been measured in a temperature region ranging from 673K to 973K. The tritium distribution in the zirconia specimens was nearly uniform suggesting an equilibrated dissolution. The hydrogen solubility in specimens were rather low (around ppm or below) and showed Arrhenius type temperature dependence, while it seemed to be independent of Y contents.


Abstract : This thesis presents a study of the unemployment problems, and how to reduce their impact, should a decrease in defense spending occur as a result of a deescalation of military hostilities in Southeast Asia. The authors have presented a summarization study of defense spending and defense generated employment during the escalation period of the war. Conclusions and estimates presented in the thesis were based on a hypothetical 20 billion dollar reduction in defense spending spread over a period of 18 months. Deescalation policies to offset the resulting unemployment problems and recommended solutions to these problems were included in the study. (Author)


Significance Tetraspanin protein (Tspan6) is a member of the tetraspanin family. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrate that Tspan6 functions as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer (CRC) by attenuating the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–based signaling axis. Tspan6 forms a tripartite complex with transmembrane form of TGF-α and an adaptor protein syntenin-1 and negatively regulates secretion of TGF-α. The expression of Tspan6 is frequently decreased in CRC, and this correlates with poor survival. Importantly, the expression of Tspan6 in CRC correlated independently of tumor molecular profile with better patient responses to Cetuximab, an EGFR-targeted therapy. These results identify Tspan6 as a regulator of CRC development and a potential predictive biomarker for EGFR-targeted therapies. Early stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) development are characterized by a complex rewiring of transcriptional networks resulting in changes in the expression of multiple genes. Here, we demonstrate that the deletion of a poorly studied tetraspanin protein Tspan6 in Apcmin/+ mice, a well-established model for premalignant CRC, resulted in increased incidence of adenoma formation and tumor size. We demonstrate that the effect of Tspan6 deletion results in the activation of EGF-dependent signaling pathways through increased production of the transmembrane form of TGF-α (tmTGF-α) associated with extracellular vesicles. This pathway is modulated by an adaptor protein syntenin-1, which physically links Tspan6 and tmTGF-α. In support of this, the expression of Tspan6 is frequently decreased or lost in CRC, and this correlates with poor survival. Furthermore, the analysis of samples from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–targeting clinical trial (COIN trial) has shown that the expression of Tspan6 in CRC correlated with better patient responses to EGFR-targeted therapy involving Cetuximab. Importantly, Tspan6-positive patients with tumors in the proximal colon (right-sided) and those with KRAS mutations had a better response to Cetuximab than the patients that expressed low Tspan6 levels. These results identify Tspan6 as a regulator of CRC development and a potential predictive marker for EGFR-targeted therapies in CRC beyond RAS pathway mutations.


The occurrence of a consumer that is new in terms of quality (e-consumer) who uses information and telecommunication technologies to facilitate the process of purchase and consumption, contributed to the emergence of a new model of sale of products over the Internet, that is, group buying services. Group buying allows to satisfy expectations of e-consumers related to product availability and the feeling of reasonable and economical buying. For companies, group buying is on the one hand a relatively cheap instrument of promotion, but it also brings the risk of loss of loyal customers. The cognitive purpose of the paper is to present opinions and attitudes of e-consumers towards group buying. Checking usefulness and effectiveness of online polling technique to study e-consumers' opinions on the subject of group buying services constitutes the methodological purpose of the study. Utilitarian purpose of the paper is to indicate the possibility of use of e-consumers' opinions to improve the quality of services provided by group buying services and improve effectiveness of operation of these services.