Background Anterior knee pain is common in both the general and athletic populations. Clarke Sign (CS) is a special orthopedic test described in a variety of medical and sports medicine textbooks and commonly used to assess anterior knee pain. However, the validity of the CS test has not been examined in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of using the CS maneuver in assessing anterior knee pain in apparently healthy participants. Methods We twice evaluated both knees of 104 healthy college students (55 women and 49 men) with a single investigator employing CS, using both mild and firm pressure. A positive test was indicated by provocation of pain, crepitus, apprehension leading to an inability to complete the test, or the inability to contract the quadriceps muscle. Because the participants had apparently healthy knees (ie, no knee pain), any positive result was deemed a false positive. Results Of the 416 trials, 175 trials were determined to be positive, resulting in a clinical falsepositive rate of 42.3%. Comment These data suggest a consistent trend in high clinical false-positive rates for CS in apparently healthy knees. These results are concerning, considering the widespread use of CS as an orthopedic evaluation tool.


This article proposed for the first time one kind the even more easy to do and easier long memory judgment method which unifies with the ADF examination.This article has given a set the long memory parameter at the beginning of estimate and the approximate maximum likelihood method estimated unifies,unifies the time series long memory analysis and the short memory analysis the systematic modeling mentality.Finally,the paper uses the Chinese real estate price index,has carried on the time series long memory judgment as well as the ARFIMA modeling real diagnosis research,and had proven this model compares the superiority with other models which manifests.


L- Leucyl- DL- alanine- 2-C 14 with a specific activity of 2. 5 J.Lc/mg was prepared in an over -all yield of 22% from alanine~ 2- C 14. Thirty- three per cent of the starting activity was recovered as DL- alanine- 2- C 14. A byprod uct of the reaction in a yield of 22% was tentatively identified as an intra- or intermolecular anhydride of the peptide.


The New York Yankees have been exploring options for a new stadium since the late 1980s. The Yankee organization felt that their fan base was increasingly suburban, primarily residing in New Jersey. The fan base also resided in Westchester, Upstate New York, and Connecticut. There was a lot of conjecture in the media about the Yankees leaving the Bronx and building a new stadium in northern New Jersey. In 1995, the Yankees retained a master planning team, which consisted of stadium architects and planners in order to examine alternative sites for a new stadium in New York City. The 1995 Master Plan Study examined sites in Van Cortandt Park and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx and the West Side Rail Yards site in West Midtown Manhattan, as well as retaining the existing stadium site with a major redesign. The Van Cortlandt Park and Pelham Bay Park sites were not well located with respect to mass transit. Van Cortlandt Park, in the northwest section of the Bronx, is located near one subway line, the local #1 line at its terminal stop. Pelham Bay Park was not well served by mass transit either, located along the #5 line, and a stadium at this site would have been a lengthy distance from the station. Yankee Stadium itself, located at 161st Street and River Avenue, on the other hand, is served by the #4 and D subway lines, and is much closer to Manhattan's residential and worker core than either of the other two Bronx sites. But it was the West Side Rail Yards site that the Yankees favored. It was located at the western edge of Midtown Manhattan, near several subway lines as well as Penn Station, and was being praised as the Yankees' preferred site at a time when new ballparks were being built downtown in Baltimore and Cleveland. The West Midtown site was expected to face considerable community opposition, and the study didn't proceed further to implementation. In 2003, the Yankees decided to proceed with a plan to build a new stadium directly across 161st Street in the Bronx from the current stadium . It was determined that reconstruction of the stadium at its current site would not be able to accommodate the many amenities that have been prevalent in new stadiums that were built in the past ten years. The current Yankee Stadium site was physically constrained by an elevated subway line on one side, an elevated expressway on the other side, and major City streets. It just wasn't large enough. The plan to build the new stadium across the street had broad government support since the Yankees would stay in the Bronx and would still be near mass transit.


Objective:To summarize clinical information and assessment techniques relevant to respiratory therapists caring for adult patients on high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). Data Source:Review of observational studies, controlled trials, case reports, institutional experience, and hospital HFOV guidelines for adult patients. Data Summary:Respiratory therapists require unique physical assessment skills and knowledge in managing patients on HFOV. Respiratory therapy procedures relevant to HFOV include setting endotracheal tube cuff leaks, performing lung recruiting maneuvers, endotracheal suctioning, and monitoring ventilator parameters. Respiratory therapists serve as essential team members in the creation and implementation of written HFOV guidelines (e.g., algorithms) to optimize patient care. Conclusion:Respiratory therapy assessment and procedural skills are essential in providing optimal care to adult patients on HFOV.


The 2011 International Conference on Computer Distributed Control and Intelligent Environmental Monitoring (CDCIEM 2011) is a preeminent international forum for developments in distributed control systems, parallel systems, multiprocessor and multicore systems, intelligent measurement and environmental monitoring technology, DCS technology, and intelligent monitoring technology applications in the energy and environmental fields. CDCIEM 2011 provides the ideal forum to present your latest results in such fields. As part of the symposium, a technology exhibition will be held during the conference.


Since early 1966, when the most recent developments in sodium conductor were announced, this material has been seriously evaluated to determine whether it has a place in the hierarchy of power cables. The recent increases in the prices of copper and aluminium conductors, resulting from the devaluation of sterling, have given sodium, which is indigenous, an economic entry into a market which demands high tandards of performance and safety. The adoption of techniques that allow the application of sodium conductors to distribution systems up to 33 kV should enable it to satisfy technical requirements also. However, the full advantages of economy and simplicity of use which the sodium conductor affords cannot be obtained until it is manufactured in Britain.


In this work, we use wide bandgap engineering based on the quantum confinement effect in silicon quantum dot nanostructures to develop an all-silicon tandem solar cells. A method of in situ growth of silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) within silicon nitride films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) has been shown using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show the quantum confinement in silicon nanostructures in agreement with the increase of the PL energy with reduction in dot size. In addition, the effect of substrate temperature on the formation and evolution of Si QDs during the PECVD deposition was investigated. Finally, the choice of the best architecture of a tandem solar cell is discussed.


Abstract—This paper presents a design of wideband and low-profile linear array of H-plane horn antennas. In order to construct the linear array in H-plane, the aperture size of the horn antenna in the H-plane should be comparable with one wavelength in the free space, which leads to a poor impedance matching especially in the lower frequency range. The approach to the problem is removing the side walls of the flare part of the antennas. The array is fed by a wideband 4-way ridged SIW power divider. The designed array operates from 5.6 GHz to 18 GHz for VSWR 2.5 and exhibits stable radiation beam with a narrow beam-width in H plane over the same frequency rang while retaining the antenna array height of only 4mm (0.17λ0 at the center frequency). The designed array is fabricated and tested. It is observed that measured results agree well with simulated ones.


In this essay it is argued that (1) if the process of scientific inquiry were to continue foreever, then science would ultimately terminate in the acceptance of a single theoretical framework better than all conceivable others, and (2) there is some evidence in favor of the view that science will continue unto eternity but no evidence in favor of the contrary view. In arguing for claim (1) it is claimed that if we are to understand the sense in which science is progressive we must mean either that science progresses by approximating a final goal which, given an infinite process, will be attained, or that science progresses simply in the sense of expanding a body of funded knowledge such that, given an infinite process, the body of funded knowledge expands ad infinitum. That the second member of this disjunct is false and that the first cannot be shown to be false follows largely from a discussion and rejection of all available arguments (five) against the hypothesis proposed in (1). Further, an argument provided by Peirce (and suitably supplemented) provides additional positive evidence for the truth of the first member. No such argument exists for the truth of the second member. In arguing for claim (2) it is held that evidence in favor of a belief can be purchased by the positive moral value likely to occur as a result of accepting the beliefs, and that there is at least one moral value which accrues to the belief that inquiry will continue forever but which does not accrue to the belief that inquiry will not continue forever. In short, while there is no systematic evidence for or against the view that inquiry will continue forever, we have the right (and duty) to believe that inquiry will continue forever but we do not have the right (and duty) to believe the contrary.


Looking for Sitges holidays? Find great value holidays to Sitges in Spain. SAVE money and BOOK the latest holiday deals in Sitges. Licensed and bonded Irish travel agent.


Shaft-frequency electric field of ship exists in 1~7 Hz and it has obvious harmonic waves.For these characteristics,harmonic waves adaptive line enhancer technology was applied to signal processing of the shaft-frequency electric field of a ship.Correlative parameters were determined through simulation.This method was used in measurement signal.The power spectrum intensity of line spectrum increased by 0.056 μ v/m higher than continuous spectrum.It was proved that background noise can be restrained effectively in shaft-frequency electric field signal with this method.


3577 Background: Studies on the association between colorectal cancer (CC) outcome and thymidylate synthase expression have provided inconsistent results. In this study we attempted to resolve the issue by assessing the associations between TS expression and outcome in a population of primary CC patients (pts), who after resection were randomized to 5-FU/FA vs. FOLFIRI adjuvant therapy. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for TS protein was successfully performed for 1211 pts in the PETACC3 trial. TS immunoreactivity was scored as high expression (≥75% positive) and low expression (<75% positive). Gene expression respectively copy number data were available for 853 respectively 306 of these samples. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) close to the TYMS gene were assessed in 923 pts. Association of variables with relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Cox regression models. Results: High TS expression and RNA level were strongly associated (log fold change 0.65, p<0.001...


While orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) has been studied for a decade, the study of nonorthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (NOFDM) in the underwater acoustics (UWA) communication has never been reported, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, we investigate the NOFDM technique for the UWA communication considering the doubly dispersive channel. The main feature of the NOFDM is that it involves more closely packed subcarriers compared to the OFDM, which results in higher spectral efficiency. However, this transmission suffers from severe intercarrier interference. Since, we are considering the doubly dispersive channel, intersymbol interference is also encountered due to the multipath propagation. Therefore, the traditional receiver of the NOFDM system in the UWA channel tends to have high computational complexity. Considering this problem, we design a receiver for the NOFDM system, where the basis expansion model is used along with the compressed sensing channel estimation technique, i.e., orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP), which can effectively reduce the computational complexity. However, while implementing this technique in the real sea environment, the problem of long delay/Doppler spread is encountered due to guard intervals. Therefore, we propose the use of a time-domain equalizer to mitigate the effect of long delay/Doppler spread. Simulation and experimental results based on the bit error rate demonstrate the performance degradation due to severe interference in our proposed receiver. On the contrary, the mean-square-error performance shows that our proposed receiver with the OMP channel estimation outperforms the OFDM receiver. Similarly, higher spectral efficiency gain is attained due to the closely packed subcarriers.


The purpose of the article is to find out the main trends of modern biobibliography over the last two years, which have reflected on the resource «Biographical Rating», the main objectives of the study are to determine the quantitative bibliographic indexes, the most productive bibliography centres, the main professional groups for which representatives bibliographic indexes are created. For the research process an analytical method was used to find out the nature of the sources, as well as a classification method to distinguish indicators by topic and grouping. The conclusion is obtained in the process of synthesis of the researched information. Explained statistics show that scientists, in particular, humanities dominated in the Ukrainian biobiblography of recent years. This is explained by the existence of existing relevant scientific centres and significant surge in national humanities, as well as the need for experience confirmation of scientific results in the natural sciences, which is complicated in modern domestic socio-economic conditions. Therefore, most bibliographic indexes are devoted to general and local historians. Another predominant group is the writers who are also related to the humanities in the context of philology, as well as to the noticeable development of Ukrainian literature, although most indexes are refered to little-known and regional writers. But, despite the quantitative advantage, the winners, according to the results of the «Biographical Rating», were also selected indexes for the composer, priest and teacher. The main centres that produce the best personal indexes are the university libraries, which are associated with the departments and scientific «schools» and priority areas of research. The gender ratio remains the same as in previous historical stages - women's bibliographic indexes are in minority.


Since WWII the issue of human rights has become important in Constitution. Every country pays attention to hu-man rights, reinforces the measures of human rights and broadens the range of citizen's rights and freedom. Our Constitution stipulates to "respect and ensure human rights ",which is of important significance to promote the cause of human rights and all-sided progress of our society.


OF THE DISCLOSURE Dehydrogenatable hydrocarbons are dehydrogenated by contacting them at dehydrogenation conditions with a catalytic composite comprising a combination of catalyti cally. effective amounts of a platinum group component, a rhenium component and a tin component with a porous carrier material. In a preferred embodiment, the catalyst also contains an alkali or alkaline earth component. A specific example of the catalytic composite used in this dehydrogenation method is a combination of a platinum component, a rhenium component, a tin component and an alkali or alkaline earth metal with an alumina carrier


Herein, the photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) properties of rare earth doped cubic double perovskite tungstate Ba2(1−x)(Na,RE)xZnWO6 (RE = Ce3+, Eu3+ and Dy3+) phosphors synthesized by the solid‐state reaction method are presented. The self‐luminescence of pure Ba2ZnWO6 material in the blue‐green region is enhanced by Ce3+ doping with its most effective concentration of 3 mol%. The dominant emission in orange (of Eu3+ at 597 nm) and blue (of Dy3+ at 485 nm) region in the emission spectra of Ba2(1−x)(Na,Eu)xZnWO6 and Ba2(1−x)(Na,Dy)xZnWO6 phosphor, respectively, shows highest intensity for 3 mol% of Eu3+ and 2 mol% of Dy3+ ion in the host lattice. The broad excitation band of Ce3+ and Dy3+ doped phosphor in the near UV region claims its candidature for solid‐state lighting. TL studies are also performed using γ‐radiation. Pure host material shows a simple glow curve while the rare earth ion doped phosphor shows a complex glow curve with enhanced intensity. Phosphor shows the fairly linear response up to 1 kGy radiation. Glow curves are deconvoluted and the trap parameters are calculated by Chen's peak shape method.


This research used quantitative with descriptive approach that aims to describe the object of research or research results through data or samples that have been collected, samples in this study as many as 97 respondents. Data collection techniques used are literature research, observation, questionnaires and assisted with documentation to search for actual facts. And the data analysis used in this research is multiple linear regression analysis and descriptive analysis which is used to explain the variable of brand awareness (X1) and brand attitude (X2) to consumer purchase interest variable (Y), and do some testing that is validity test, reliability, partial test, and coefficient of determination test. The results of this research indicated that brand awareness (X1) effect significantly positive towards the consumer interest based on multiple linear regression equation with a significant level of 0.032 t table 1.985. Brand attitude (X2) has a positive and significant effect on consumer buying interest based on multiple linear regression equation with significant level 0,001 t table 1,985.


Various explanations regarding how swimmers generate propulsion have been proffered during the last half century, Investigations have been limited by the current technical 'state of the art'. The main limitations have related to the difficulty of directly measuring propulsive and resistive forces and in observing the behaviour of the fluid. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an historical account of how developing methods of analysis are enabling us to unravel the mystery of propulsion in swimming.


A 6-year-old boy with frequent episodes of fever, myalgia and arthralgia, presented with arterial hypertension (HTN).

When he was 2 years old he was extensively investigated due to a small thalamic stroke, but no diagnosis was made.

While being evaluated for HTN, he presented with a medullar ischaemic stroke. Antinuclear and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were negative; there was no kidney failure, urinalysis changes or skin lesions. In the presence of recurrent fevers, ischaemic strokes and HTN, we suspected the …


Background: ALXN1210 is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed for rapid, complete, sustained inhibition of C5 with less frequent dosing. A previous study in healthy volunteers demonstrated immediate, complete, and sustained C5 inhibition. The terminal half-life of ALXN1210 is approximately 3-4x longer than eculizumab, thus providing continuous suppression of hemolysis with an extended dosing interval. Aims: ALXN1210-PNH-103 is a Phase 1/2, multicenter, open-label, intrapatient dose-escalation study (NCT02598583), evaluating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of 2 IV maintenance dosing regimens of ALXN1210 in patients (pts) ≥18 y with PNH who were naive to complement inhibitor therapy. Methods: In this interim analysis, 6 pts in Cohort 1 (C1) received either 400- or 600-mg IV induction doses followed by a 900-mg maintenance dose q4w; 7 pts in Cohort 2 (C2) received 600- and 900-mg induction doses, followed by an 1800-mg maintenance dose q4w for up to 24 wk. The primary efficacy outcome was change in complement-mediated hemolysis as measured by LDH level. Other endpoints included changes in hematologic parameters, blood transfusions, FACIT-Fatigue scores, and pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters. Results: A total of 13 pts consented and enrolled (Table 1). Median duration of exposure was 5.6 mo for C1 and 4.6 mo for C2. Pts had evidence of high hemolytic activity at baseline (BL), with LDH levels approximately 7-fold higher than the upper limit of normal (ULN). LDH levels decreased rapidly by the first evaluable time point (day 8), and improvements were sustained throughout all dosing intervals. Mean percentage reductions from BL in LDH levels were 85.9% in C1 at day 169 (n=6) and 85.2% in C2 at day 141 (n=5), the last available time points; respective LDH mean (SD) values at these time points were 232 (82) and 198 (36) U/L. Mean hemoglobin (Hb) levels were improved or stable in both cohorts. Among 5 pts with red blood cell transfusions in the 12 months prior to treatment (2 in C1, 3 in C2), only 1/2 pts (50%) in C1, became free of transfusions, while 3/3 pts (100%) in C2 were transfusion free. The pt in C1 who required transfusions had LDH levels of 391 and 417 U/L (1.67 and 1.78 x ULN), and Hb levels of 7.7 and 6.9 g/dL (BL Hb of 9.8 g/dL) on days 57 and 141, respectively. This pt consequently received 2 transfusions (2 units each) on these days. No pts in C2 required a transfusion. Mean (SD) FACIT-Fatigue scores increased from BL to day 43 by 28.9% (45.6%) in C1, and by 61.4% (49.9%) in C2 (Table 2). At day 169, FACIT-Fatigue scores were maintained in C1 (28.7% [52.7%] improvement from BL), but improved by 76.2% (70.3%) in C2. It should be noted that the BL FACIT-Fatigue score was lower in C2 than in C1 (10.1 points), indicating more severe fatigue. PK analysis of available data revealed an estimated mean ± SD terminal (beta) half-life of ALXN1210 of 42 ± 6 days. No deaths, serious adverse events (AEs), drug discontinuations, or AEs leading to withdrawals were reported in either cohort. The most common treatment-emergent AE (TEAE) was headache (4 pts). Investigators judged 77% of TEAEs to be unrelated to treatment. All AEs considered at least possibly related to therapy over 4.6 to 5.6 months of median exposure, including atrial flutter, general ache, headache, and worsening of anemia, resolved with ongoing ALXN1210 treatment. Conclusion: In pts with PNH previously-naive to complement inhibitor therapy, ALXN1210 treatment resulted in rapid, complete, and sustained C5 inhibition. LDH levels were rapidly reduced in all pts. Mean LDH levels were reduced to below the ULN in 4/6 (67%) of pts in C1, and in 6/7 (86%) of pts in C2 at the last evaluable time point. While there was a notable decrease in the need for blood transfusions, 17% (1/6) of pts in C1 (900 mg) experienced a recurrence of hemolysis and required transfusions, while no pts in C2 (1800 mg) had evidence of hemolysis or required a transfusion. FACIT-Fatigue scores improved in both cohorts, but improvement in patients was 2.1-fold greater in the higher dose cohort, consistent with better hemolytic response. These data suggest that the lower dose may be inadequate throughout the monthly dosing interval for complete suppression of hemolysis, which is central to the morbidities of PNH. Supported by a model-derived preliminary mean ± SD terminal elimination half-life of 42 ± 6 days, a Phase 2 study examining longer dosing intervals of up to 12 weeks is ongoing. Disclosures Lee:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Bachman:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Aguzzi:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Jang:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Rottinghaus:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Shafner:Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Szer:Ra Pharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alnylam: Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees.


In this paper the photo thermal effects of the second harmonic Nd-YAG laser on the optical properties of an unsaturated polyester medium is investigated. In theoretical point view variations of refractive index of medium due to pumping laser induced temperature distribution pattern have been considered. These variations change the phase of He-Ne laser as a probe beam and hence change its intensity pattern. There is a complete coincidence between calculated intensity pattern and an experimental result is observed. Keyword: Fraunhofer approximation, Huygens principle, temperature distribution, variation of intensity pattern, variation of wave phase D ow nl oa de d fr om w w w .o ps i.i r at 8 :4 4 IR D T o n S un da y S ep te m be r 11 th 2 01 6 ۳۲ ات ۳۲ هامید ۳۲۳۲ یتشهب دیهش هاگشناد ، ۳64۳ 1 همدقم تسکش بیرض اب یطیحم زا سیطانغمورتکلا وترپ روبع ونکی ریغ ان زاف ندمآ دوجو هب ثعاب هک تخا رد تخاونکی یم یدورف جوم ههبج تدش یوگلارد رییغت ثعاب ،دوش طیحم زا یجورخ وترپ یم ب .دوش تایصوصخ یسررب ا ییامرگ و یکیتپا یم یدام طیحم تارییغت لیلحت هب ناوت هدش داجیا هب هلاقم نیا رد .تخادرپ تدش یوگلا رد رزیل وترپ تدش یوگلا تارییغت یسررب مویله نوئن یروبع طیحم کی زا یلپ عابشا ریغ رتسا اب ان تسکش بیرض امرگ داجیا زا یشان هک تخاونکی ییامد یوگلا لیکشت و وترپ یژرنا بذج هطساو هب طیحم رد شمد ی رزیل ، مود گنهامه Nd-YAG یم دشاب یم ، میزادرپ [ ۳ ] . 2 یدام طیحم رد امد عیزوت هلداعم اب یدام طیحم کی رد امد عیزوت هوحن یلک روط هب یم تسد هب ریز لیسنارفید هلداعم زا هدافتسا آ :دی ( ۳ ) ) , ( 1 ) , ( . ) , ( ) , ( 2 t r Q c t r T v t r T D t t r T


The invention provides 90-degree angle plate forming equipment for an indoor drain pipe, which comprises a frame, side roller mechanisms, an angle roller mechanism, a sliding-down frame and an angle die, wherein guide rails are arranged on the ground at the bottom of the frame; the sliding-down frame is positioned on the guide rails; the angle die is mounted on the sliding-down frame; two groups of inclined side roller mechanisms are respectively mounted on two sides of the frame above the sliding-down frame, and are mounted oppositely; the inclination angles at the tops of the side roller mechanisms are 90 degrees; the angle roller mechanism is arranged at the top of the frame between the two groups of side roller mechanisms; and a sprinkler pipe matched with the angle roller mechanism is arranged on the frame. The equipment provided in the scheme is simple in structure, is convenient to use, and is high in degree of automation.


As a result of detailed mechanistic and kinetic studies, we have proposed that PdX2-catalyzed oxidative coupling of o-alkynylanilines 1 with terminal alkynes 2 under aerobic conditions is initiated by aminopalladation of 1 followed by ligand exchange of the resulting σ-indolylpalladium(II) complex with 2, reductive elimination and N-demethylation. Side reactions associated with intermediates on the way to 2,3-disubstituted indoles 3 were identified, and the roles of acetate and iodide in channeling the reaction towards the desired product were established. Based on kinetic and spectroscopic studies, the soluble iodide-ligated Pd(0) species was proposed to be the resting state of the catalyst and its oxidation to active Pd(II) species was the turnover-limiting step. Catalytic conditions with low loading of Pd(OAc)2 (0.0005 to 0.001 equiv) were subsequently developed.


This paper discusses centerline extraction algorithms for virtual cardiovascular endoscopy system. A fully automatic extraction method is proposed which is significantly enhanced from current distance mapping method. The new approach consists of four steps: preprocessing; construction of improved Distance From Boundary field; centerline extraction; mean value smoothing of centerline. Based on the proposed automatic approach, an interactive extraction method is presented in which a centerline connects specified points selected by cardiologists. This interactive approach makes the viewport closer to pathological changes in the aorta and human heart, so cardiologists can observe focuses more clearly. The two algorithms have been applied to the virtual cardiovascular endoscopy system, and the experiments prove that our methods work well in the process of auxiliary diagnosis.


Many studies have investigated heterosexuals' prejudices toward nonheterosexuals, yet LGB's prejudices toward heterosexuals remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we sought to determine the threats and opportunities (i.e., affordances) LGB perceive heterosexuals to pose and whether those affordances explain their sexual prejudices toward heterosexuals. Study 1 analyzed LGB's reasons for liking and disliking heterosexuals, which determined whether the threats predicted to be salient for LGB mirrored the affordances they generated. Study 2 measured these perceived affordances and examined the extent to which they drove LGB's prejudices toward heterosexuals. Generally, perceptions of discrimination and unreciprocated sexual interest threats drove anger, physical safety and sexual autonomy threats drove fear, and values threats drove moral disgust toward heterosexuals, although results varied slightly by perceiver and target groups. Goals to alleviate the tensions between heterosexuals and LGB require an understanding of the dynamics between these groups. This research provides preliminary insights into understanding those dynamics.


This research aims to test the influence of intellectual capital on the performance of the company. Intellectual Capital is measured by the VAIC method which has three variables namely Value Added Capital Employed, Value Added Human Capital and Structural Capital Value Added, while the company's performance is measured using Return on Assets. This study uses PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia and PT. Bank Negara Indonesia data during the period 2015-2020. The analysis method used is regression analysis. The results of this study prove that only Value Added Human Capital and Structural Capital Value Added have a significant positive effect on Return on Assets. The Value Added Capital Employed has no effect on Return on Assets. This shows that PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia and PT. Bank Negara Indonesia still rely on their physical assets as measured by physical capital followed by human capital in creating added value for the company which ultimately has an impact on improving bank performance.


Looks at the interface between people and automation and considers which tasks are best suited to machines and which to people. Notes particularly the cost factors involved and the prime concerns of price and quality. Points to a balance in the interface between operator and machine in order to ensure maximum effectiveness. Focuses on three examples of the use of automation and concludes that the future holds increased automation, leading to improved working environments and better products.


Wear and tear of modern dredging equipment is on the increase as a result of the requirement to operate dredgers in deeper and rougher seas and remote areas. Since there are no existing regulations governing the safety of such vessels and their equipment it has been considered necessary to establish maintenance and inspection standards to ensure operational safety and long life. Accordingly, ajoint Investigation Research Committee was set up by the Japanese Workvessel Association and other interested bodies as a means of giving technical guidance on this problem. The following actions were taken:- Inspection of dredgers in service and evaluation of operational conditions. Establishment of maintenance & inspection standards. The paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey of cutter suction, hopper suction, bucket, grab, and dipper dredgers.


Abstract
Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) related signaling pathways are important to the survival of breast cancer cells, making HER2 an effective target for the treatment of certain breast


This research was done to know the influence of land area, seed costs, fertilizier costs, and labour costs simultaneously to income of rice farmer in Berangas Village Alalak District Barito Kuala Regency and to know which variabel is the most dominant influence to the income's of rice farmers in Berangas Village Alalak District Barito Kuala Regency with fifty-three sampel. This research using multiple linear regression analysis with the help of statistic program application SPSS 23.            The results of the regression analysis n this study can be seen that variabel land area, seed costs, fertilizier costs, and labour costs have a simultan effect on farmer income, while partially only land area and seed costs, which significantly influence the income of lawland rice farmer in Berangas Village Alalak District Barito Kuala Regency and fertilizier costs and labour costs that have no significant effect, and the most dominant variabel affects the income of farmers, namely the variabel cost of seeds based on the value of count which amounted to 4,400 tables of 2,021 and greater than the other independent.Keyword : Farmer Income, Land Area, Seed Costs, Fertilizier Costs, and Labour Costs


The producer focuses on producing parts that match the customer's requirements during manufacturing the automotive engine parts. One of the essential automotive engine parts is a crankshaft used to translate movement from the pistons to the car axle. The crankshaft is a complex shape and diffi cult to produce accurate dimensions during the machining processes. Many machines are used to create the crankshaft. Therefore, many defects happen during the machining process, reducing reliability and increasing the manufacturing process's production cost. This paper focuses on analyzing failure data and reliability of the crankshaft production line that occurs during the manufacturing process of one year. The common failure associated with the manufacturing process were ring screw, unbalanced crankshaft, broken drill screw, hub machining error, mains part machining error, and setup error. The paper aimed to determine and analyze the best failure fi t between the distribution methods, such as Weibull, normal, lognormal, and exponential. Also, the reliability, hazard rate, surviving quantity, and failure density were calculated to evaluate the current situation and predict the reliability of the production line. Results proved the skewness of the data was positive equal to 3.33; the last months had the highest production failure rate, which is 53.8%, the normal method had a proper distribution of data depending on the Anderson-Darling (adj) values which is 1.367 when it compared with other methods, the normal method had the best fi tting result depended on failure percentage, from 1% to 95% of the crankshafts production are expected to fail between 47.2676 and 1149.85 months respectively. The reliability of the production line decreased with manufacturing time increased. To reduce the failure and increase reliability, the maintenance system must be supported, analyze the sources that cause failure and downtime of the production line, continue the employee training system on an ongoing basis, and support the production line with modern technology. All analytical results and suggestions could be valuable to the production line to improve reliability and reduce the manufacturing process's failure.


In light of the fact that contemporary glocal digital culture has touched many people's everyday life deeply–even in regards to their habits of writing and reading–, the paper wonders why this type of literature remains more or less invisible to most of the same population. The main hypothesis explored is that this situation has to do with the strong experimental impetus that digital literature has entailed since its first appearances in mid- 20 th century, an impetus kept to the present. This experimentalism, not without some problems, such as the possible reproduction of the "great divide" between high and lowbrow culture, already contested since the sixties, also opens great potentialities to build disruptive ways of cognitive and perceptual experience within hegemonic digital culture, understand as an "algorithmic culture". To test the hypothesis, the paper examines some encounters and (dis) encounters between two different practices within online digital culture that turn to appropriationism as an artistic device. On one hand, digital literature associated to conceptual and un-creative writing and, on the other hand, literary fancfiction which, even if could only be digitized literature –not strictly digital– it owns its exponential growth to virtual communities and social networks since the development of the Web 2.0.


Introduction: There is little comparable information about hemodialysis (HD) practices in low‐ and middle income countries, including Russia. Evaluation of HD in Russia and its international comparisons could highlight factors providing opportunities for improvement.


China's armed forces showcased the progress of their accelerating modernisation drive at the th anniversary celebrations of their air force and navy, and of the People's Republic itself. Through a series of carefully scripted parades and large-scale exercises, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent notice that it was generating a comprehensive set of state-of-theart capabilities that would enable the projection of its military power onto the global stage. At the ! October parade in Beijing, the air force, navy and Second Artillery (China's strategic missile forces) were given increased prominence, which signalled a shift away from the previous ground-force-oriented, continental mindset. Prominently featured weapons included the latest variants of the DF-"!C mediumrange ballistic missile, the DF-#!A intercontinental ballistic missile, the DH-! (CJ-!) land-a$ack cruise missile, the J-! fighter, the H-U air-refuelling tanker, and electronic-warfare platforms such as the KJ-" Airborne Warning and Control aircraft. Most of these systems are the locally designed products of a more modern and capable Chinese defence industry that is enjoying surging domestic demand. A key theme of these military displays, also underlined in the latest defence White Paper published at the end of "&, was the growing confidence of the PLA. While li$le new information was disclosed, the White Paper pointed out that China has reached a 'historic turning point' and that it was playing a major role in the international security order. Although the units that took part in the National Day parade were mostly drawn from elite formations, recapitalisation of the wider front-line inventory has been gathering pace in recent years. According to estimates from the US Department of Defense (DoD), "'% of Chinese naval surface forces in "& could be categorised as modern (defined as multi-mission platforms with significant capabilities in at least two warfare areas) compared with +% in "/; /% of the submarine fleet in "& was modern (capable of firing anti-ship cruise missiles) in contrast to less than !% in "/; and "% of the air force had modern fourthgeneration combat aircraft in "&, double the ratio in "/. China's ground forces, by comparison, have lagged far behind, with the DoD estimating that only " main ba$le tanks (MBTs) out of a DoD-reported inventory of ,+ were modern third-generation Type-1& and -11 models; more emphasis has been placed on the acquisition of armoured infantry vehicles and the building up of special forces. While older generations of !1sand !1+s-era MBTs are being phased out, later models are undergoing limited upgrading. In April, the PLA Navy (PLAN) held a fleet review in Qingdao for its th anniversary celebrations, displaying some of its latest warships and submarines, such as the Type-'"C Luyang II-class DDG, Type'!C Luzhou-class DDG and Type-'/A Jiangkai-class frigates. The Chinese surface force is currently estimated by the DoD to have around +' major surface combatants. Additionally, there are approximately /' coastal missile-patrol craft and ' medium and heavy amphibious-lift vessels, which have been increasing in size in recent years. The submarine fleet is also undergoing rapid expansion, with five types of nuclear and conventional submarines under procurement, including the Jin-class SSBN, Shang-class SSN, and Improved Song, Yuan and Russian Kilo SS. Moreover, growing official public discussion of the acquisition of an aircraft-carrier force appears to be paving the way for a programme go-ahead in the near future. Senior Chinese navy officials have said that the local shipbuilding industry is actively conducting research into aircraft-carrier construction and could be ready to build a vessel by the end of this decade; refurbishment of the former Ukrainian aircraft carrier Varyag is also a much-discussed option.


In this paper we describe methods using 2D-pixel motion elds for detecting shot breaks and classifying camera motion in digital video. These ow elds can be calculated with optical ow or correlation matching. The Karhunen-Loe ve transform (KLT), based on statistical properties, insures extraction of optimal linear features from ow elds representing a particular motion class. Two methods for classiication are discussed, and experimental results for each method are presented.


Service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) practitioner–scholars are interested in civic-mindedness and students' self-efficacy, reciprocal partnerships, and community well-being. Increasingly, scholars are paying attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. This issue of the _International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IJRSLCE)_ contains articles on those topics and related issues. Articles include an exploration of the community engagement experiences of college students with minoritized sexual and gender identities; an analysis of the service-learning experiences of Asian immigrant high school students; an examination of teacher preparation for work with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and a discussion of a host community's experiences with international service-learning. Taken together, the articles demonstrate systematic inquiry and critical reflection that could inform and improve community engagement practice in K–12 and higher education.


We report on the development of a caesium ion sputter source for the production of small mass-selected atomic clusters. It has been designed to be compact and portable, enabling it to be attached to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) systems for use in deposition experiments. The sputter source, developed from a high energy (∼20 keV) atomic ion beam source, has been modified by introducing a beam extraction section, resulting in a cluster beam energy of 1.5 kV. This allows mass selection to be performed with a compact Wien velocity filter, greatly reducing the dimensions of the source. The source produces sufficient intensities of small clusters (1 – 15 atoms/cluster) for UHV deposition experiments, for example, a deposition rate of 0.002 monolayers/min for Al7− focused onto a 1 cm2 area has been obtained. It is possible to produce beams of many materials, especially the noble metals and carbon. We show mass spectra for Agn −, Aln− , and Cn− clusters.


An approach for the optimal design of phased array antennas generating a sum pattern that satisfies arbitrary mask-constraints on the sidelobes power over a wide operation bandwidth is presented in this work. The synthesis of the complex (amplitude and phase) excitation coefficients of the array elements is cast as the solution of a convex programming problem that guarantees the retrieval of the optimal beam-forming weights. The result of a numerical example is reported to preliminary validate the proposed method.


Integrin‐mediated adhesion to the vascular endothelium is an essential step in leukocyte diapedesis. We show that the chemokines 10‐kDa inflammatory protein (IP10) and monokine induced by IFN (Mig) induce rapid and transient adhesion of human IL‐2‐stimulated T lymphocytes (IL‐2 T cells) to immobilized integrin ligands through their receptor CXCR3, which is selectively expressed on activated T cells. Induction of adhesion by IP10 and Mig was already observed at subnanomolar concentrations and was maximal at 5 – 10 nM, resulting in three‐ to sixfold increase in adhesion of IL‐2 T cells over background. No effect was seen with resting naive/memory T cells which lack CXCR3 and migration responses to IP10 and Mig. Both chemokines are produced in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) upon stimulation with IFN‐γ and TNF‐α. These chemokines induce IL‐2 T cell adhesion also when captured on the surface of endothelial cells. Under conditions of flow, IL‐2 T cells roll and rapidly adhere to IP10/Mig‐expressing HUVEC, and anti‐CXCR3 mAb treatment reduces arrest and firm adhesion. This is the first study that shows chemokine‐induced adhesion in activated memory/effector T cells which represent the fraction of T cells that are selectively mobilized in inflammation. The critical role of IFN‐γ as inducer of IP10/Mig production in HUVEC indicates that these chemokines are essential mediators of effector T cell recruitment to IFN‐γ‐dependent pathologies.


Abstract An unusual and abundant orbiniid polychaete, collected from the channel of an aquaculture facility in Brindisi (Adriatic Sea, Italy), has been identified as the subtropical–tropical American species, Naineris setosa (Verrill, 1900). The specimens have been redescribed with SEM used for the first time to illustrate their morphology. The taxonomy and ecology of the species is reviewed. The presence of dorsal crests on abdominal segments and heavily vascularized branchiae may be an adaptation to a low-oxygen habitat. The possible origin of the Brindisi worms is discussed together with the known ecology of N. setosa in American waters. Although it is unlikely that any of the specimens escaped from the aquaculture facility into the Adriatic Sea, the present account documents the occurrence of the worm, and the possibility it could be encountered elsewhere in the region.


The present study investigates the potential of the supplementation of the seaweed Ulva lactuca, as a dietary additive ingredient in fish feed, to improve the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) growth performance, feed utilization and carcass composition. The experiment was conducted in the Deroua fish farming facilities (Beni Mellal, Morocco), on male Nile tilapia of a mean weight of 50 ± 1g. Three experimental diets composed of 32% of dietary protein were prepared using dried algae meal ingredient incorporated at levels of 0% (control), 5% and 10% of fish feed. By the end of the experiment, fish growth parameters, feed utilization, somatic indexes and carcass composition were evaluated. Fish fed on 5% seaweed diet tended to have higher growth performance than those fed to the control and 10% seaweed diet (p>0.05). Feed utilization by fish seemed not to be affected by seaweed meal rates change (p>0.05). The viscerosomatic (VSI), hepatosomatic (HSI) and gonadosomatic (GSI) indexes showed no significant difference between diets. Crude protein and crude lipid contents in the fish carcass were not statistically significant (p>0.05), whereas significant differences (p<0.05) in ash content was observed between treatments. In addition, Ulva lactuca meal can be included as supplement ingredient in the diet without impairing growth performance, feed utilization and body composition of Nile Tilapia. * Corresponding Author: Natify Widad  email@example.com International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 7, No. 3, p. 85-92, 2015 International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 14-22, 2014


This paper focuses on reducing the power, area and the gate counts required to implement an image scaling processor. This image scaling technique consists of a combined filter that incorporates sharpening and clamp filter and a bilinear interpolator. The combined filter acts as a pre filter to reduce the blurring effects in the image. The gate count is reduced by considering a T-model and an inversed T-model convolution kernel which helps in realizing the sharpening spatial filter and the clamp filter. Further, in the combined filter, the two T-models or the inversed T-models are combined thereby the design requires only one-line-buffer memory. In addition to which the resources and the hardware cost of the bilinear interpolator can be efficiently decreased by using the Spurious Power Suppression Technique (SPST) adder in the reconfigurable calculation unit (RCU). This technique has been implemented in SPARTAN 2E - XC2S600E-6FG676 family at the speed of 115 MHZ.


Longitudinal studies conducted within the social economy have the potential to provide useful insights by tracing participant experiences and illuminating long-term outcomes of program interventions. However, longitudinal studies are challenging, not only due to retention of participants, but also when a longitudinal study covers a broad geographic area. The authors collaborated in a five-year pan-Canadian longitudinal study following youth participants in work-integration social enterprise (WISE) training programs. This article traces the experiences of study teams in Ontario and Greater Vancouver, providing accounts of the approaches and challenges encountered when working in geographically and socio-economically diverse locales over time with youth participants facing social marginalization. This article highlights three aspects of data collection—recruitment, retention, and research methods and logistics—offering insights into how each team devised its own strategies to fit with local circumstances while maintaining consistency across research sites.


Abstract Mansonia altissima A. Chev., a redwood producer species in tropical Africa, occurs as one small, isolated population in a highly anthropized landscape in Republic of Benin. We accessed the landscape pattern and population status to inform restauration action for the species. We established 20 one-ha permanent plots divided in 320 subplots (25 m × 25 m) in-situ and counted and measured M. altissima plants with diameter ≥ 1cm at base and 1.30 m above ground (DBH) in February 2017, 2018 and 2019. Based on the main disturbance factors, such as fire, human-caused damage to seedlings, harvesting of wood for fuel, and agriculture, we assigned the plots to one of three disturbance levels: poor, moderate, and strong. We grouped the plants into four life stages according to diameter size (cm): seedling (1 ≤ DBH < 5), sapling (5 ≤ DBH < 10), premature (10 ≤ DBH < 20), and mature (DBH ≥ 20). We used Landsat data of years 1986, 2002 and 2017 to quantify and analyze landscape changes and fragmentation. Results showed that the landscape was dramatically changed and fragmented between 2002 and 2017 due to disturbance increase. Semi-deciduous forest (SDF) containing M. altissima decreased, whereas woodlands and savannas increased. SDF was severely fragmented and disaggregated. In plots with strong disturbance, mortality rate was higher, whereas in plots with poor disturbance, it was lower and recruitment was highest. Mortality rate differed significantly among life stages and disturbance levels. Experimental restoration is required to identify locations where the species can establish young viable populations. Fire and other anthropogenic disturbance have to be controlled to ensure this natural population can provide seeds for restoration and conservation projects.


The design of some adaptive and robust-adaptive control strategies for a microalgae fermentation process that is carried out inside a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) is presented. Initially, an indirect adaptive controller is designed by coupling a linearizing controller with a new parameter estimator used for estimation of unknown kinetics. Afterwards, under the realistic assumption that the reaction kinetics are unknown, time-varying and moreover the influent flow rate is uncertain and time-varying, but some lower and upper bounds of these uncertainties are known, two robust-adaptive control structures are proposed by combining a linearizing control law with two new appropriately parameter estimators able to estimates the unknown reaction rates. Numerical simulations are included to validate the designed controllers applied to a continuous fermentation bioprocess used for microalgae production.


A grill comprises a heating chamber (2) for broiling food (18). The heating chamber has located on the sides thereof a respective space (5) which accommodates a heat source (6), such as charcoal. The heat source (6) delivers radiant heat uniformly to the food (18), and the formation of carcinogenic substances as a result of py rolysis is avoided by constructing the bottom part of the heating chamber in a manner to cool fat which drips down from the broiled food. To this end the bottom part of the heating chamber may be provided with a withdrawable vessel (8) filled with a liquid (9). The heat-source accommodating space (5) is delimited on the heating-chamber side by a net or lattice structure (4) and has a bottom surface (14) which slopes obliquely downwards and inwards towards the liquid-filled vessel (8). Pre-heated combustion air is delivered to the space (5) through a channel (16) location beneath the space. The central part of the grill may have a rectangular or circular cross-sectional shape.


During the last years environment of Spanish & Indian universities have been changing fast due to the development of new Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Some essential features have been suggested to be implemented to ensure an effective change. An effort has been made to examine need, benefits and drivers of e learning. Universities being learning organizations, merging of e-learning and knowledge management present exciting opportunities for real learning needs. The distinctive features of the teaching-learning processes require practitioner's especial attention when they are implementing ICT. The researchers suggest that organizational culture play a key role in order to achieve a useful implementation of new technologies. A conceptual model, highlighting relationships between organizational culture, individuals' behavior, and satisfaction of the actors, is developed.


The concentrations and size distributions of culturable bacterial aerosols were measured during spring and winter in outdoor air in Gliwice, Upper Silesia, Poland. This research on culturable bacteria was carried over a period of two years. The samples were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor (with aerodynamic cut-off diameters of 7.0, 4.7, 3.3, 2.1, 1.1, and 0.65 μm). The results showed that the average concentration of culturable bacterial aerosol was 355 CFU m−3 in spring, which was four times higher than during winter (65 CFU m−3). Bacterial aerosol concentrations showed the unimodal size distribution with the highest range of 3.3–4.7 μm particles. The seasonal distributions of bacterial aerosol grain clearly indicate that, in winter, the size distribution of particles <7 μm is more "flattened" and is characterized by an increased share of fine fractions and a decreased share of coarse ones. Environmental parameters, such as temperature, UV radiation, relative humidity, wind velocity, as well as PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, were measured in order to analyse whether environmental factors had any effect on bacterial aerosols. Statistically, the most important meteorological factors in the viability of airborne bacteria were temperature and UV radiation.


This work describes a longitudinal fracture analysis of beam structure of circular cross-section under periodic strains. The material whose properties vary in radial direction has non-linear viscoelastic behaviour. The beam is loaded in torsion so that the twist angle represents a periodical function. Time-dependent behaviour under periodic strains is dealt with a model having a non-linear spring and a linear dashpot. The complementary strain energy in the beam is considered to determine the strain energy release rate. The balance of energy is examined to verify the strain energy release rate. The ascendency of various parameters over strain energy release rate is assessed.


In SHF locators in case of traditional object detection there can be an ambiguity due to influence of similar signal disturbance from local items. It is shown that developed at the Communications Equipment and Technologies Department of the Institute of Radioelectronics and Informational Technologies of UrFU object detection algorithms against a background of noise allow firstly, clearly detecting objects, secondly, providing advantage of signal-to-noise ratio.


In an attempt to use minimal concentrations, initially, of silver nanoparticles for loading onto textiles and to achieve maximum concentrations on the material, CF4 low-pressure plasma was used on bleached and mercerized cotton fabric. The concentrations of silver on the fabrics were determined by the ICP-MS method (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry), the morphology of fiber surfaces was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study was used for the evaluation of surface chemical changes. The antibacterial effect of silver loaded fabrics was tested against Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The best results were found for plasma-treated cotton fabric functionalized with 30 nm silver particles. The results show effective plasma etching of the fabric surface, which caused excellent adhesion of silver particles. Color measurements of dyed samples showed that CF 4 plasma does not affect the color of dyed cotton. The mechanical properties of cotton remain unaltered after plasma treatment.


The ratio of longitudinal to transverse structure functions, {sigma}{sub L}/{sigma}{sub T}, has been extracted from recent beam-recoil transferred polarization data for the p({rvec e},e'K{sup +}) {rvec {Lambda}} reaction. Results have been obtained for W = 1.72, 1.84, and 1.98 GeV at an average Q{sup 2} of 0.77, 0.69, and 0.61 GeV{sup 2}, respectively. Our results indicate a ratio that is systematically slightly smaller than previously published results using a Rosenbluth separation.


In their traditional fields, social workers increasingly have to deal with elderly people. Social work is implemented also in special facilities and services for old persons. In the basic education there is still no guarantee of a basic knowledge in social gerontology. This ist why further education programs are necessary. In a postgraduate curriculum the social work experience should be combined with the theoretical basis of social gerontology.


This paper describes the use of a laminar-ring direct simple shear apparatus that was employed to test interface properties with the soil specimen contained in a stacked metal rings. A series of interface tests between steel and palm biodiesel contaminated soils were conducted using the developed apparatus. The mining sand samples contaminated with different palm biodiesel contents were tested on relatively smooth and rough steel surfaces. Parameters investigated include palm biodiesel content, surface roughness and normal stress. The experimental results show that the contribution of palm biodiesel content to interface shear strength is significant. Interface shear strength increases with the increase of palm biodiesel content. Applied normal stress and surface roughness have remarkable influence on the interface shear strength. The decrease in interface shear strength due to an increase in palm biodiesel content is observed. Soil dilatancy is observed for clean mining sand but as the palm biodiesel content is increased, higher soil dilatancy is obvious in lower normal stresses. The rate of increase of soil dilatancy is greater in higher palm biodiesel content than in lower palm biodiesel content. They also indicated that the surface roughness has a significant effect on the interface shear strength at a given palm biodiesel content and normal stress level. With respect to surface roughness and palm biodiesel content, three shearing modes are likely to take place: shearing at the interface, shearing within the soil and an intermediate mode involving these two types of shearing. For the second mode, the shear strength at the soil-rough steel interface is likely to be greater than the shear strength of the sand, particularly for sand with higher palm biodiesel content.


In this article, the author traces thie changes in the social meanings of the capoeira, n Brazilian black fight, between the last decades of lhe nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. These changes are, in fact, closely related to the different approaches of the Brazilian society toward the black people's social position. Since the first decades of this century, the cultural manifestations of backs have become Brazilian symbols and signs of national identity, even though these same black people were considered a serious obstacle to the development and civilization of the country during lhe end of lhe past century because of a so-called"biological inferiority"


Part 1 Beginnings: the mathematics in schools why do I want to be a mathematics teacher? what does higher education offer? Part 2 In school: what will it feel like to be in school again? making sense of observations lessons for learning how do you plan and evaluate lessons? feedback, review and self evaluation. Part 3 Mathematics, learning and teaching: what is mathematics and what is it for? learning and teaching mathematics developing as a teacher.


Leander McCormick Observatory were grouped systematically with respect to the time. He concluded that the variable proper motion was, like that of Sirius, due to the presence of a faint companion and deduced a preliminary period of 9 years and a semi-major axis of 3.2A.U. A later investigation yielded a period of 14 years and a semi-major axis of 1.1 A.U. The companion, with a mean distance from the primary of 4 A.U., is one of the least massive stars known, having a mass of less than 0.1 O, under the assumption that it does not contribute any light.


Cyanation reactions of carbonyl compounds with methyl cyanoformate or acetyl cyanide catalyzed by 5 mol % of 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4,4,0]dec-5-ene (TBD) were examined. Using methyl cyanoformate, the corresponding cyanohydrin carbonates were readily obtained in high yield for aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones. Similar results were obtained when acetyl cyanide was used as the cyanide source. The polymer-supported catalyst, PS-TBD, also acted as a good catalyst for this reaction. PS-TBD was easily recovered and reused with minimal activity loss.


The paper considers the review of some architectural objects when studying the european part of the Samarkand city which was formed at the end of the XIX-th and the beginning of the XX centuries.


Overview: This report is the first publication from a continuing, open-source study of the coalition campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). With Australian blood and treasure committed to the efforts of the coalition, it is important for ASPI to provide research and constructive commentary on the campaign. The report examines: coalition strategy in Iraq and Syria ISIL's evolution and its military actions in 2014 developing the international coalition against ISIL the first 100 days of airstrikes the cost of operations against ISIL the land force advise and assist mission ISIL and international terrorism The report is designed to be read with ASPI's interactive map of coalition airstrikes, which details the date, location, target and effect of all strikes reported by US Central Command at the time of writing. It also shows coalition humanitarian and military airdrops.


MOOC research is typically limited to evaluations of learner behavior in the context of the learning environment. However, some research has begun to recognize that the impact of MOOCs may extend beyond the confines of the course platform or conclusion of the course time limit. This workshop aims to encourage our community of learning analytics researchers to examine the relationship between performance and engagement within the course and learner behavior and development beyond the course. This workshop intends to build awareness in the community regarding the importance of research measuring multi-platform activity and long-term success after taking a MOOC. We hope to build the community's understanding of what it takes to operationalize MOOC learner success in a novel context by employing data traces across the social web.


In the present study the potential of bioethanol production using carbohydrate-enriched biomass of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis was studied. For the saccharification of the carbohydrate-enriched biomass, four acids (H2SO4, HNO3, HCl and H3PO4) were investigated. Each acid were used at four concentrations, 2.5 N, 1 N, 0.5 N and 0.25 N, and for each acid concentration the saccharification was conducted under four temperatures (40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C). Higher acid concentrations gave in general higher reducing sugars (RS) yields (%, gRS/gTotal sugars) with higher rates, while the increase in temperature lead to higher rates at lower acid concentration. The hydrolysates then were used as substrate for ethanolic fermentation by a salt stress-adapted Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. The bioethanol yield (%, gEtOH/gBiomass) was significantly affected by the acid concentration used for the saccharification of the carbohydrates. The highest bioethanol yields of 16.32% ± 0.90% (gEtOH/gBiomass) and 16.27% ± 0.97% (gEtOH/gBiomass) were obtained in hydrolysates produced with HNO3 0.5 N and H2SO4 0.5 N, respectively.


Landscape-wide approaches integrating agriculture, forestry, energy, and water are considered key to address complex environmental problems and to avoid trade-offs. The objective of this paper is to analyse how knowledge production through multi-stakeholder dialogues on water, landscapes, forests, and agriculture can inform governance and the management of landscapes. Multi-stakeholder learning dialogues and platforms (MSPs) were established related to water and natural resources management, complemented by targeted reviews, to establish a shared understanding of the drivers of change and impacts on the hydrology of landscapes and ecosystem services. The MSP dialogues illustrate the need to address water as an integral part of landscape management and governance to achieve the wide range of the Sustainable Development Goals related to water and food security, climate action, life on land, as well as sustainable production and consumption, equality, and strong institutions. The co-production of knowledge through MSPs contributes to continuous learning that informs adaptive management of water flows in landscapes, above and below ground, as well as in the atmosphere. It helps to build a shared understanding of system dynamics and integrate knowledge about hydrology and water flows into policy recommendations. Co-production of knowledge also contributes to stakeholder participation at different levels, inclusiveness, and transparency, and to water stewardship.


Economic uncertaint y is defined as an unforeseen and uncertain of future economic events. The past literatures of economic uncertainty measures point out that numerous theoretical and empirical studies are positive analysis in which is a reaction based measure of uncertainty . However, very few papers are normative analysis that study what the uncertainty ought to be based on a structure economic model. In line with this, there is no proper measurement about the economic uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to review econ


Improved enteric coated digestive enzyme-containing compositions which are capable of withstanding hours of exposure to gastric fluids while protecting the biological activity of the enzymes and thereafter releasing the digestive enzymes in their biologically active state within 5 to 30 minutes after being exposed to intestinal fluids, these compositions comprising (a) an enzyme concentrate in (b) a binder system comprising at least about 0.5 wt. %, preferably about 1 to about 10 wt. % (based on the weight of the binder system plus enzymes) of (i) a binder, preferably selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone, microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel), cellulose acetate phthalate, methylcellulose and alginic acid, and preferably (ii) from about 0.1 to about 10 wt. % of a stabilizer, preferably selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, cellulose acetate phthalate, methylcellulose, alginic acid, starch and modified starches, e.g., carboxymethyl starch (Primojel); and (c) from about 0.1% to about 30 wt. %, based on the weight of the total composite (enzyme plus binder system plus disintegrant) of a disintegrant, preferably selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate and other suitable carbonates, alginic acid, starch and modified starches, e.g., carboxymethyl starch (Primojel) are prepared by a process in which the presence of water is avoided and which includes the step of blending enzyme, binder and disintegrant in the presence of a selected inert solvent as well as the subsequent coating of the resulting enzyme/binder/disintegrant composite with from about 2.5% to about 10% by weight, based on the weight of the enzyme/binder/disintegrant composite, of a gastric juice insoluble, intestinal juice soluble, non-porous, pharmaceutically acceptable enteric coating polymer.


Abstract : The present method for evaluating repetitive pulse lasers in based primarily on data taken for a fixed exposure time (0.5 s). The biological effect from these studies was interpreted to be a function of the pulse repetition frequency when in fact this same effect could just as well have been plotted against the total number of pulses in the pulse train. It is the opinion of this author that the reason several pulses cause retinal injury when a retinal lesion is not observed from a single pulse of the same energy is that microscopic cell changes partially combine together to cause visible injury. The additivity method offers a more logical approach for evaluating repeated exposures from short pulsed laser devices. A uniform safely margin may be maintained for multiple pulse and single pulses from the same laser device. Permissible exposures to a very few pulses or to coded pulses may be easily calculated by this method. Most importantly, an adequate margin of safety may be maintained for all repetitively-pulsed lasers. Keywords: Laser damage; Laser hazards; Radiation protection; Standards: Exposure limits.


Aiming at the special characteristics of basic education information management system, this paper proposes the simple solution based on the architectures of Struts, Spring and Hibernate (referred to as SSH) of J2EE and its specific implementation process. Furthermore, it is proved by the practical application that it can not only greatly reduce system developing time, but also get a good robustness, maintainability, scalability and flexibility.


This report gives a general discussion of atmospheric contaminants from various sources (military operations, urban and industrial activites, agricultural practices, and processes occurring in nature). The information presented is relevant to the performance of chemical-agent alarms because atmospheric contaminants may either give a false indication of the presence of agents or cause a loss in the detectability of agents. There are three types of advanced point-sampling alarms of current interest: the ionization detector, the electrochemical enzyme alarm, and the automatic liquid agent detector (ALAD). This report summarizes information on the operating principles of these alarm devices and their sensitivities to chemical agents and other substances. (GRA)


In this paper we briefly expose the erotic characteristics that are generally associated to women's discourse through the analysis of Las edades de Lulu , Almudena Grandes' first novel, which belongs to the erotic genre and was awarded with La sonrisa vertical prize. We have based our studies on Pilar Garcia Mouton's Como hablan las mujeres and on Angel Lopez and Ricardo Morant's Gramatica femenina . This paper is then organized like this: firstly, we provided a brief historical context in which we describe woman's access to the word. Then we wrote some lines about the author of Las edades de Lulu , whose features are extremely necessary to be taken into consideration since the neat issue deals with them. Thirdly, we make a comparative-contrastive analysis of the vocabulary, especially the characteristics that are associated with women's discourse and that can be appreciated in the narrative. Finally, we wrote a brief conclusion about what we have exposed. We conclude that female discourse, differently from male discourse in many aspects, is extremely important in deep analytical studies as this one, when the issue is eroticism in contemporary literature.


In the access point definitive traffic content in the data network, which discloses a method for providing search and alert capabilities. Internet, discloses an intranet, and a standard access point for wireless traffic. Using the flow of traffic through the Internet service provider as a preferred embodiment, the data traffic, embodied as an input source in the present invention. The present invention is suitable privacy and content filtering, is, teaches that it is applicable to the traffic source. Use filtered data stream from the stream of traffic it is possible to enhance the quality of current search and alert services. The present invention, developed a cache to optimize teaches that it is possible to hold a new searchable information captured in the traffic flow. Furthermore, the aforementioned cache into a searchable index, separately, or external search index and cooperate to disclose that it is possible to use as the basis for improved search service . Further, the present invention analyzes the flow of traffic, pull the additional information, document relevance, access similarity between documents, it is possible to measure the regional differences in search personal ranking of results, and document access It discloses that it is.


A novel core-shell materials have been manufactured in order to enhance the thermal conductivity of the epoxy based composites. Polymer derived ceramics technique has been used to produce fillers which core made of standard material was covered with high thermal conductivity shell. The synthesized fillers were characterized by infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive analysis. The measurements confirmed formation of the core-shell structure. Composites samples based on epoxy resin filled with the advanced core-shell fillers have been investigated in order to determine the effective thermal conductivity. Obtained composite samples exhibited improvement in thermal conductivity.


The invention relates to a networking system and a method for an injection moulding machine. The controller of the injection moulding machine comprises a control device which controls the shaping motion of an injection machine and a network device which sends data in the injection machine to an external servo deriver and receives the control order of the external servo deriver. The interface of the network device adopts a standard industrial Ethernet card which can be both compositive and independent. The standard industrial Ethernet card of the network device is cut over the Ethernet card with the external servo deriver through a twisted pair line and is two-way communicated with the external servo deriver based on transmission control protocol TCP/user datagram protocol UDP communication protocol. The data collection of the invention reaches a second level, that is to say, the data collection of all on-line machines can be finished within a second. With the invention, factories can real-time monitor production process, predict the production process, increase the accuracy of production plan schedule and monitor and manage the progress of orders at any moment.


Understanding what happens in the brain during healthy ageing is important for several reasons ranging from its correlation to cognitive function to the research of neurodegenerative diseases and their biomarkers. In recent years, studies have linked certain biomarkers to both ageing and neurodegenerative diseases, but there is still more to be found and concluded. Inspired by current developments in machine learning, the use of artificial neural networks (ANN) as a method for extracting new informational biomarkers has been investigated. The brain consists of several functionally connected regions and can thus be modeled and analyzed using graph theory. ANNs and graph theory can be combined into graph neural networks, which when applied on human brain data have shown great promise. We aim to investigate the usage of GNNs on age-related data, in the search for biomarkers and other important features related to the ageing brain.


Equal opportunity and access to health care services regardless of one's socio-economic background is important for health equity. To achieve this, the Indonesian government introduced a national health insurance program named Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional in 2014 and provided insurance payment subsidies for poor people. This study evaluates the health subsidy policy's impact on the utilization of different kind of health care facilities, both public and private. Two waves of Indonesian socio-economic surveys, namely 2013 and 2018, and two analysis methods, namely logistic regression, and difference-in-differences, were applied in this study. The results show that in first-level health care facilities, the health subsidy improves the probability of outpatient visits in public health centers and polyclinics but decreases the probability of outpatient visits in medical practices. Then, in secondary-level health care facilities, the health subsidy was found to increase the likelihood of outpatient visits in public hospitals; however, it lowers the probability of outpatient visits in private hospitals.


The national capital of India, New Delhi has experienced a phenomenon growth in population in the last few decades. This resulted in development of rail based urban transport system for Delhi. The first phase of the project under execution comprises of 62.5 km of route length of which 12.5 km is underground and is called the Metro corridor. Therefore it becomes essential to study the evacuation procedures in this type of tunnel. Keeping this in mind, the present Research work is undertaken. The Proposed research work will investigate the fire dynamics in a section of underground tunnel, approximately similar to Metro corridor using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Technique. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the emergency ventilation strategies of a section of tunnel. All Metro underground stations are approximately 300 m long and 20 m wide. Ventilation fans are located at the stations and not inside the tunnels. For analysis, it is assumed that the fire source of 4 MW is located at the center of the tunnel. In the event of fire it is assumed that the train will pass through and reach the station. Hence, dynamics of fire inside tunnel without train is only studied. The numerical model used is first verified using experimental results from Steckler experiment. The model is then used to simulate the fire environment inside the tunnel. The results of CFD simulations are compared with those of empirical correlations available in the literature. The effectiveness of smoke ventilation system is then studied. For this the effect of ventilation flow rate, both uniform and non-uniform airflow in tunnel, on thermal environment inside the tunnel has been studied. This helps in determining the critical velocity necessary to prevent back layering. A ventilation scenario where both inlet and exhaust fans are activated is also studied.


Exoelectron emission has been applied to measurements of the depth-dose curve for gamma-ray fields from a dosimetric point of view. With thin dosemeter elements of LiF single crystals (0.4 mm thick) and Li2B4O7 glass ceramics (0.18 mm thick), the absorbed dose was experimentally determined as a function of depth to be between 0.0264 and 2.64 g/cm2. A procedure for evaluating kerma has also been proposed. An important factor, the distance that secondary electrons maintain their kinetic energy, was numerically obtained from a derived approximation formula and a Monte Carlo code.


Key Points Question What are the opinions of US youths on the participation of transgender individuals in competitive sports? Findings In this qualitative study of 905 adolescents and young adults, 47% felt that transgender athletes should be able to participate in competitive sports based on gender identity, 35% felt that participation should be based on sex assigned at birth, and 10% stated that participation should be based on the stage of transition, hormone levels, or sport being played. Meaning The diverse responses of individuals who responded to the study questions suggest that policy makers should consider the perspective of youths and the associated impacts when developing guidelines on the participation of transgender athletes in competitive sports.


A Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis elegans was seen stooping several times at a foraging Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes (area of the Jbel Sahro, Anti-Atlas, Morocco). We discuss this behaviour in terms of territorial a ggressiveness. attempts at predation, inter-specific competition and attempts at kleptoparasitism, the last two hypotheses being most probable. A lack of data prevents us from being more conclusive.


AbstractShear wave propagation in soil is a physical phenomenon and has been used widely for monitoring and seismic property assessment in geotechnical engineering. Shear wave velocity Vs and small-strain shear modulus G0 are the key parameters in defining material response to various dynamic loadings. To date, the dependencies of Vs and G0 on saturation, especially in high suction range, are still not well understood because of the limited testing methodology and experimental evidence. In this study, the authors present a new laboratory instrumentation of measuring shear wave propagation in different types of unsaturated soils. Low relative humidity and water mist injection environment are used for measuring shear wave velocity under both drying and wetting conditions. Bender element technique was used to measure the shear wave responses. Step function was used as excitation, and determination of a first arrival time was identified and consistently used for all shear wave measurements. Shear wave evoluti...


This letter evaluates the impact of subspace leakage in conventional (single-dimension) and dimensionally spread null-space precoding schemes. This phenomenon arises when the null-space inference procedure lacks precision and suffers subspace detection errors. The analysis relies on the signal-to-interference-per-dimension ratio (SIDR) metric, which jointly measures the transmitted power efficiency and the interference-mitigation robustness of the adopted transmission scheme. Based on theoretical and numerical analyses of the SIDR, this letter provides the explicit SIDR performance gain of dimension spreading-based null-space precoding schemes as an interference mitigation strategy in front of conventional approaches.


This paper presents DPF Editor, a diagrammatic (meta)model ling tool for the specification of (meta)models. The tool is a graphical editor for the Diagram Predicate Framework (DPF), that provides a graph based formalisation of (meta)modelling an d model transformation. The tool offers fully diagrammatic specification of domain-specific modell ing languages. Moreover, DPF Editor supports development of metamodelling hierarchies with an arbitrary number of metalevels; that is, each model at a metalevel can be used as a metamodel for the met al vel below. DPF Editor facilitates the generation of domain-specific diagrammatic editors out of these metamodels. Furthermore, the conformance relations between adjacent metalevels are che cked using typing morphisms and validation of diagrammatic constraints. The features of the DPF Ed itor are illustrated by a running example presenting a metamodelling hierarchy for business process modelling.


In different groups of patients and blood donors with increased thrombophilic or arteriosclerotic risk we found some correlations between basophilic granulocyte values and lipid parameters. Basophilic granulocytes are one of the bodies own origin of sulfated mucopolysaccharides which protects endothelial cells and saves high density lipoprotein cholesterol, as we were able to find in blood donors.


CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) and CD103 (cid:1) dendritic cells (DC) have been shown to promote regulatory T cell responses and mediate tolerance in the gastrointestinal tract. These cells have also been identified in the lung, but their role in immunity to respiratory tract infection is not clear. In this study, we have used a murine model of infection with Bordetella pertussis to examine the function of DC subtypes in protective immunity in the lungs. We found a dramatic increase in the numbers of CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) DC in the cervical lymph nodes within 4 h ofchallenge with B. pertussis and these DC could acquire particulate Ag from the upper respiratory tract. CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) DC also infiltrated the lung with a peak 7 days after B. pertussis challenge. The infiltrating CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) DC expressed MHC, costimulatory and activation markers indicative of mature DC. The CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) DC in the cervical lymph nodes expressed IL-4 and IL-10 and lower levels of IFN- (cid:3) , but in the lungs expressed predominantly IFN- (cid:3) . Depletion of CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) cells early in infection attenuated Th1 responses in the lungs and significantly reduced bacterial clearance. Conversely, transfer of FLT3 ligand (FL)-expanded CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) DC enhanced bacterial clearance, whereas GM-CSF-ex-panded conventional DC had no effect. The numbers of CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) CD103 (cid:1) cells were also increased during the early phase of infection. Blocking CD103 function caused a significant delay in bacterial clearance and a reduction in cellular infiltration into the lungs. These findings demonstrate that CD11c (cid:1) CD8 (cid:2) (cid:1) and CD11c (cid:1) CD103 (cid:1) DC play a protective role in mediating immunity to B. pertussis infection in the respiratory tract. The Journal of Immunology, 2009, 183: 400–410.


Postural control is the process by which the central nervous system, based on information coming from sensory systems of visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems, create references to develop the best strategy for maintaining balance, producing patterns of muscle activity to the appropriate relationship between the center and the mass base of support. Objective: The objective is to evaluate since postural control in seniors through stabilometry, associated with motor and cognitive dual task under conditions open and closed eyes. Methods: The sample consisted of 12 volunteers, over 65 years, of both sexes, healthy. The subjects were evaluated on a force platform under the following conditions: simple task - remain standing stable, dual-motor task - remain stable foot holding a plastic cup almost full of water; cognitive dual task - to remain stable standing talking aloud day of the week in reverse. In the eyes open and closed conditions. We analyzed the area of the ellipse 95% of the points and the average speed of center of pressure. Results: Data showed that balance changed in the dual task condition eyes open and dual cognitive task showed higher levels of instability in the eyes closed condition. Conclusion: The increased postural demands in the double reveal a greater influence on the balance of cognition.


The invention relates to a glass assembly comprising a photoluminescent phosphor and at least a first glass member (10) and at least a second glass element (20), wherein said first glass element (10) at least one surface (14) having reflecting and / or light-scattering properties on the surface has an incident light and for light with a wavelength <800 nm is at least partially transparent.


The "Power Quality" term is widely used in recent years in power system field. Voltage sags is one of the power quality issue, which is also known as dips, are important to industrial reliability. This paper presents a power world simulation approach to find the voltage sag magnitudes in power system network. In this paper, investigations have been conducted on a sample distribution system model taking into consideration with the practical operation of a power system.


Photoreflectance (PR) measurements are performed on specific structures grown by MBE on different substrate orientations: <111>B, <111>B 2 degree(s)off, <111>A and <100>. A strained In0.2Ga0.8As quantum well is grown in the space charge layer of an undoped GaAs layer. On a polar substrate orientation <111>, the strain induced piezoelectric field in the quantum well modifies the field in the space charge layer. PR spectra recorded in such structures exhibit Franz Keldysh oscillations from which we can measure the internal electric field. The piezoelectric field is then deduced from the comparison between two structures differing only by the presence of the strained quantum well. Experimental values range between 110 and 150 kV/cm, and are used to experimentally determine the piezoelectric constant e14 in In0.2Ga0.8As.


One of the most frequently asked questions in any constitution-making process, in terms of both the former Hungarian constitution and the new Basic Law, is to what extent they were, are or will be legitimate. To be able to answer this, one needs to enter into some general theoretical considerations as to the function of constitutions.Modern constitutions are generally expected to do three things: to be a means of legal self-restraint for the political power (as expressed by the protection of fundamental rights and the idea of the separation of powers), to establish (constitute) the most important institutions of the state in a democratic way, and to be symbols that bind the community together. This essay examines these three requirements, arguing that any constitution that fullfills these may be regarded as legitimate (i.e. worthy of being obeyed). The closing part of the essay, in turn, contends that the procedure of constitution-making is not important in terms of legitimacy.


Although fourteen American states periodically hold automatic referendums on whether to hold a state constitutional convention, no state has approved a constitutional convention referendum since 1984. This study explores the puzzle of why voters would oppose an opportunity to broadly reform state government and the factors that underlie these attitudes. Analyses of two statewide surveys of registered voters in New York during the 2017 Constitutional Convention Referendum campaign reveal that campaign framing, elite cues, and instrumental concerns have led voters to take risk-averse positions in order to minimize potential losses that could result from a constitutional convention.


In this paper, we introduce standardization activities for control and non-payload communication (CNPC) of remote piloted aircraft system (RPAS) which should be necessarily required for safe operation of UAS into national airspace. Recently, terrestrial and satellite based CNPC technologies, which provide high reliable communication link between remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and remote piloted station (RPS) are being developed under consideration for weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) of RPAS. This paper introduces the system concept and architecture for a RPAS CNPC system, and discusses the related standardization activities in radio technical commission for aeronautics (RTCA), European organization for civil aviation equipment (EUROCAE) and international civil aviation organization (ICAO).


This study aims to ascertain how to measure the impact of tourism on economic growth in the Maghreb countries including Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. The purpose was to analyse the outbound tourism effect on economic multivariables using panel data techniques (fixed-random-effects mode). Based on (TLGH) tourism led growth hypothesis, the current study investigated the linkage between international tourist arrivals and economic growth. Data was collected to run a panel study. The results show a positive relationship between tourist inflows and GDP, labour market and expenditure for the period 1995-2016. However, a negative sign was uncovered in both country risk effect and exchange rate variables. The study is of practical relevance since there are very few researchers who have tried to explain the tourism-led growth hypothesis in the North Africa region. The study also suggests new policies to be applied to increase tourism attractiveness in the region in question.


A fast iterative solver is presented to analyze large random arrays made of identical elements. The technique exploits the macro basis functions (MBFs) to represent the currents on the antennas. Furthermore, those MBFs are supposed to be the same on all antennas. This feature accelerates the exploitation of the fast multipoles method in that the radiation patterns of MBFs are the same on each element.


Rural and small town areas are often portrayed as the most fertile grounds for community involvement, volunteering activities, neighbouring and, more generally, social engagement. Moreover, small town and rural area residents are commonly perceived as friendlier, warmer and more family oriented than their urban counterparts. With the population of Canada becoming increasingly urban and more and more concentrated within the large Census Metropolitan Areas, such a reality, if accurate, would have detrimental consequences on the level of social engagement in the country. But are these views, that some sociologists have called myths about rural warmth and hospitality (e.g. Gans, 1962), realistic? Highlights


Geosteering drilling technology is one of the most advanced drilling techniques in late years.Navigational drilling can control well trajectory according to the actual geologic features surveyed by LWD.Based on theoretical research,SDRI(Shengli Drilling Technology Research Institute) had developed with its own effort new types of positive pulse MWD tool,gamma ray while drilling tool and resistivity while drilling tool,and developed geosteering drilling software.Shengli Oilfield had achieved its LWD design and manufacture technique and geosteering drilling technology.The geosteering drilling system had been used in 30 horizontal wells,94.36% of the horizontal sections penetrated within reservoir,and the thinnest reservoir is 1 meter.Geosteering horizontal drilling technology provides a key solution for the development of thin reservoir and the left oil in the upper section of thick reservoir.


Objective:To investigate the oral health status of Tibet youth in Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences,so as to promote evidence for oral health intervention.Method:A case report format was designed according to WHO:Oral Health Survey to investigate and estimate Gingival Index(GI),Community Periodontal Index(CPI),Decay-missed-filled tooth(DMFT) and Decay-missed-filled surface(DMFS).Result:The investigation showed GI-mean 0.726±0.413,decay prevalence of 86.1 %,and an obviously higher DMFT-mean(4.8±3.5)and DMFS-mean(6.9±5.8)outcome.25.4 % of the cohort were given CPI score 1,and 67.2 % CPI score 2.Conclusion:Decay remained as the most commonly found disease among Tibet youth population,and its prevalence was higher than that in other districts,while the gingival heath showed an average.


This paper elaborates the significance of strengthening higher vocational students' ecological civilization quality education and puts forward three ways of ecological civilization education for higher vocational students: setting up elective courses for ecological civilization education,training a number of environmental activists;developing rich and colorful ecological civilization education practice;giving full play to college environmental societies in the ecological civilization education.Finally,four proposals to strengthen college students' ecological civilization education are suggested.


Using the theory of politeness as a springboard, Culturally Speaking develops a new framework for analyzing interactions. The book examines both comparative and interactive aspects of cross-cultural communication through a variety of disciplines, theories, and empirical data. Anyone interested in exploring intercultural communication will find this volume lucid and insightful.