The author presents a rapidly convergent algorithm to solve the general portfolio problem of maximi zing concave utility functions subject to linear constraints. The alg orithm is based on an iterative use of the Markowitz critical line me thod for solving quadratic programs. A simple example, taken from the theory of state contingent claims, is worked out in detail. For tech nical convergence results the reader is referred to the appropriate m athematical-programming literature. Copyright 1988 by American Finance Association.


The BOR proteins are integral membrane transporters which mediate efflux of boron. Structural studies for two BOR family members from Arabidopsis thaliana and Saccharomyces mikitiae indicate that the proteins exist as dimers. However, it remains unclear whether dimer formation is dependent on protein-lipid interactions or whether the dimer is the functional form of the protein. Here, we used the BOR1p protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScBOR1p), recombinantly expressed in its native host, to explore these aspects of BOR transporter structure and function. Native mass spectrometry (MS) revealed that ScBOR1p isolates as a monomer in a range of detergents. Lipidomics analysis showed that ScBOR1p co-isolates with phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Delipidation of ScBOR1p followed by addition of PS or PE causes formation of ScBOR1p dimers, while PI binds to the protein but doesn't form dimers does not drive formation of ScBOR1p dimers. Using a homology model of ScBOR1p, based on the known dimeric BOR structures, we identified a possible lipid binding site at the dimer interface comprising residues Arg265, Arg267, Arg480 and Arg481. A quadruple 4R/A mutant was expressed and isolated and also shown to be monomeric by native MS. However, addition of PS or PE to this mutant did not reform the dimer. Functional complementation analysis revealed that the 4R/A mutant had boron efflux activity. Taken together these data strongly indicate that the physiological form of the ScBOR1p is the dimer and that dimer formation is dependent on association with membrane lipids. In addition, the functional unit of ScBOR1p is the monomer.


The deposit Drmno is located in Kostolac coal basin, where coal mining is performed by surface excavation. Quality drenage is very important for coal mining. Creating a hydrodynamic model of deposit is very important as a starting sentence for successful system design to protect the mine from groundwater.


A reporter should look and behave in an ordinary, average way, and should not stand out from the crowd. Then it is easier for him or her to blend in, to not draw attention to themselves, to not stand out or attract anybody's attention with his or her looks and behavior. One talks to a journalist in a different way than to somebody one has met by chance. Therefore, a reporter should be anonymous and unknown. He or she should be like anyone from the crowd. If reporters lose their anonymity, they also lose an opportunity to write a good reportage. Ryszard Kapuoecinski observed that the profession of a reporter is about overcoming your own feeling of being different – about living in an African or Chinese village, or some place in Latin America, among the Indians in the Andes. A good correspondent needs to identify himself or herself with these people, their way of living, their poverty and difficulties. It is a condition of any work to overcome 'the Other' in oneself.


Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a potentially life‐threatening hemorrhagic disorder with many etiologies. We report the first case in the literature describing the association of AHA with adult‐onset Still's disease (AOSD).


The measurement of spatially resolved diffuse reflection for determining the optical parameters of biological tissues is investigated experimentally. The radial distribution of diffuse reflection light at 633nm from the bovine fat and bovine muscle is measured by using a optic fiber detector and CCD respectively. The absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of bovine tissues are derived by nonlinear fitting of diffusion equation with the relative distribution data of diffuse reflection light intensity. The results are compared with the published data derived from absolute measurements, and the differences between the results and the published data are less than 9.4%. The investigation shows that the data measured by optic fiber detector is in good agreement with that by CCD, the method of using CCD is shortcut and has better precision.


A gene homologous to the human putative tumor suppressor gene QM was isolated from rice genomic library. It was designated OS QM 2. The sequence was about 3.1 kb long and encoded a highly basic protein of 184 amino acids. It has a very special promoter region compared with other known QM genes. Many known cis acting elements such as "G box", "DRE" box, "MYC" box can be found in its promoter region, so it is a putative new stress inducible gene. Southern hybridization indicated that it existed in rice genome as a single copy gene.


The concept "psychobiotics" claims potential beneficial effect of probiotics on anxiety, whereas findings from clinical trials are inconsistent. Thus, a meta‐analysis is needed to clarify the effect of probiotics on anxiety.


In this work, we have carried out systematic studies on the critical role of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and citrate in the well-known chemical reduction route to synthesize silver nanodecahedra (AgND). Silver nitrate (AgNO3) was used as silver source, which can be directly converted to metallic silver after being reduced by sodium borohydride (NaBH4) under blue light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation (λmax = 465 nm), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent to assist the growth of AgND. The obtained products were silver nanodecahedra of excellent uniformity and stability with high efficiency and yield. The results showed that PVP acted as a capping agent to stabilize the silver nanoparticles, prolonging the initiation time required for nanodecahedra nucleation, thus inducing anisotropic growth, allowing the size and morphology of the AgND to be controlled successfully. This improved understanding allows a consistent process for the synthesis of AgND with significantly enhanced reproducibility to be developed and the formation mechanism of these nanostructures to be elucidated. This is a simple, cost-effective and easily reproducible method for creating AgND. The typical absorption maxima in the UV-vis spectroscopy of Ag seeds was λmax ∼400 nm and that of AgND was λmax ∼480 nm. The size of the prepared AgND was in the range of 60–80 nm. SEM images confirmed the uniform and high density of AgND when the concentration of PVP was 0.5 mM. The XRD pattern showed that the final product of AgND was highly crystallized. In addition, the prepared AgND can be used to detect methylene blue (MB) in a sensitive manner with good reproducibility and stability using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) phenomenon. Out of the obtained products, the AgND prepared with 50 min blue LED light irradiation (AgND-50) displayed the strongest SERS signal. Interestingly, MB in diluted solution can be detected with a concentration as low as 10−7 M (the limit of detection, LOD) and the linear dependence between SERS intensity and the MB concentration occurred in the range from 10−7 to 10−6 M. The enhancement factor (EF) of the SERS effect was about 1.602 × 106 with a MB concentration of 10−7 M using 532 nm laser excitation.


This study focuses on analyzing the influence of changes in 10-year nominal interest rates on US sector returns, distinguishing two different periods, before and after the subprime crisis. We run the three-factor model of Fama and French, which incorporates as explanatory factors the nominal interest rate and the size and growth opportunities factors. The US sensitivity varies across sectors and periods, but we evidence a similar response to the previous literature. Finally, the "size" effect is higher than the "growth" impact.


ABSTRACT Methane production from animal waste has received considerable research attention in the previous ten years. This attention was due mainly to the energy shortage experienced during the mid and late 1970s which caused severe hardship in animal agriculture, particularly in the swine and poultry production industries. Research on the commercial potential of methane production from animal wastes began with emphasis on beef feedlot and caged layer wastes, with swine and dairy waste studies following later. The research proceeded from initial investigations of feasibility through stages involving reactor hardware and finally into development of mathematical prediction models requiring computers. As the data base was developed using the early studies, the mathematical models were made more accurate and validated with a larger data base. The state-of-the-art of system design today is such that a computer is required to obtain accurate predictions of methane production. Computers are often not convenient for field use or for use in classrooms, and the need for simple design equations that can be used with hand-held calculators for quick and accurate estimation is great. This manuscript describes the development of a set of simple, fast, and accurate methane production equations for the major animal species of swine, beef, dairy, and poultry. The latest, most comprehensive validated computer model of methanogenesis of animal waste was used to provide a data base for the development of these simple predictive equations. The equations provide prediction confidence of 97% or greater based on correlation of predicted data verses the data obtained using the computer model.


Evidence of how an assessment of the learning environment in an international school library equips the teacher librarian with valuable data that may challenge assumptions of how the learning environment is perceived by students is presented through disclosure of the full results of a two year research study examining the application of a learning environment paradigm to the lower school library setting in an international school in Germany. The process of completing a comparative examination of the relationships among student perceptions of their lower school library program with grade levels Third (ages 8 and 9), through Five (ages 10 and 11) is detailed. In addition, the assessment instruments will be discussed and presented. Use of these instruments in this study of the psychosocial aspects of the learning environment offers valuable ideas and techniques for teacher librarianconsideration and development.


This study aims to numerically and experimentally investigate the response of a medium strength rock material under uncon fi ned compression loading up to failure. The uncon fi ned compressive strength (UCS) is one of the most important parameters in characterising rock material behaviour. Hence the UCS is crucial in understanding the failure mechanism of fractured rocks. An effective approach to determine the UCS and to investigate the behaviours of rock materials under uncon fi ned compression is essential in the majority of research fi elds of rock mechanics. The experimental con fi guration for the uncon fi ned compression test, suggested by the protocols of the ASTM standard, has some limitations which affect the accuracy in determination of the real UCS. Among several alternative con fi gurations proposed, the Mogi ' s con fi guration seems to be the most appropriate one. Therefore, the ASTM and Mogi ' s con fi gurations were used to perform the tests on a medium strength rock material, i.e. Pietra Serena sandstone. The results using two con fi gurations were discussed in terms of the differences. The tests were also replicated in LS- DYNA using a fi nite element method (FEM) coupled smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) technique. This technique is employed in this study due to its capabilities to cope with large deformation issues related to the rocks. An advanced material model, called the Karagozian and Case Concrete (KCC) model, is implemented in the numerical simulations. The KCC model consists of three independent fi xed failure surfaces and it can consider the damage accumulation based on the current state of stress among these failure surfaces. An equation-of-state (EOS) is used in conjunction with KCC material model for decou- pling the volumetric and deviatoric responses. The numerical and experimental results were fi nally compared with the focus on the stress e strain diagram and the failure patterns. The comparison shows that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.


Fractionation of the water-soluble polysaccharides from Japanese larch wood affords two homogeneous arabinogalactans A and B. Mild acid hydrolysis of arabinogalactan A furnishes 3-O-β-L-arabinopyranosyl-L-arabinose. Hydrolysis of methylated arabinogalactan A gives 2,3,4- and 2,3,5-tri-, and 2,5-di-O-methyl-L-arabinose, 2,3,4,6-tetra-, 2,3,4- and 2,4,6-tri-, 2,4- and 2,6-di-, and 2-O-methyl-D-galactose. Two successive degradations of the periodate-oxidised polysaccharide result in the formation of an essentially linear 1→3′ linked galactan. From these and other experiments it is concluded that the highly branched arabinogalactan contains interior chains of 1→3′ linked β-D-galactopyranose residues to which are attached as side-chains other D-galactopyranose residues joined by 1→6′ linkages and, less frequently, single L-arabinofuranose or 3-O-β-L-arabinopyranosyl-L-arabinofuranose units.


NASA-Arnes' major recommendations involved ways of extending cable life in the interests of safety and economy. Other recommendations included redesign of the cablegripping device, substitution of modern braking mechanisms, improvements in cable pulleys and other components, and new inspection and repair procedures. Ames followed up by designing and installing new equipment to lengthen cable life, which averages only about two months. These cables-four of them for four different car routes--are endless belts, like ski lift cables, running from the downtown car barn to the end of each line. When a cable is installed, the loop is closed by splicing the ends together in a 72-footlong splice. The splice is the weakest part of the cable and a source of problems. When the car operator applies his grip while over a splice, the resulting friction sometimes causes the splice to "unbraid" and fail; this means shutting down the line until the splice can be repaired. Even when unbraiding does not occur, gripping a splice shortens cable life by friction wear. Worn cables are a safety hazard and must be replaced, which is expensive at $1.60 a foot for 10,000 to 20,000 feet of cable.


Different from general linear inequality or equality, the problem of future different-level linear inequality and equality (FDLLIE) is investigated, which is much more interesting and challenging. In order to solve this difficult FDLLIE, continuous different-level linear inequality and equality (CDLLIE) is first considered. A zeroing equivalency theorem is proposed based on the zeroing neural network method, and then a continuous solution model is, thus, obtained for CDLLIE solving. Furthermore, a new discrete-solution (NDS) model is developed for FDLLIE solving by using a proposed new 7-instant Zhang et al. discretization (ZeaD) formula to discretize the continuous solution model. Meanwhile, theoretical analyses and results are presented to show the excellent properties of the NDS model. Numerical results illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the NDS model for solving FDLLIE. Furthermore, application experiments for motion planning of robot manipulator are conducted to substantiate the efficacy of the NDS model for FDLLIE solving.


An assessment was made of the relationship between physical fitness level, anxiety level and Type A behavior in a non-clinical sample of healthy middle-age adults. Forty nine mid-level managers from Westinghouse Steam Generator and Turbine Division, World Headquarters participated by filling out a battery of tests, including the Jenkins Activity Survey, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a fitness questionnaire. No significant relationship was found between physical fitness level and Type A behavior. A significant negative relationship was found between physical fitness level and trait-anxiety. Trend analysis revealed a significant linear decrease in mean anxiety scores for groups of increasing levels of fitness. A discussion of these results and their implications for research in an occupational setting is included.


A lock that is configured to be attached to electronic equipment requiring securing against theft and the lock comprising: a lock body; a locking element protruding from the lock body and having a forward distal section that is comparatively wider in cross-sectional size compared to a rear section thereof, the forward section being configured to be insertable into a cavity formed in the equipment, where the cavity is defined by an opening having a size and shape slightly larger than the cross-sectional size of the forward section of the locking element and an interior larger in cross-sectional size than the opening of the cavity; a slidable locking pin configured to slide alongside the locking element and into the cavity, after the locking element has been inserted into said cavity, to substantially fill a space of the cavity left unoccupied by the locking element; a sliding mechanism coupled to the locking pin and configured to slide the locking pin into and out of the cavity; and a locking mechanism to lock the locking mechanism within the lock body to prevent withdrawal of the locking element from the cavity.


The interaction of pinacyanol chloride(PC) with nucleic acids has been investigated by a series of experiments.Extensive hypochromism,appreciable peak shifts,isosbestic points and new peaks of the product of binding to nucleic acids in the spectra were observed.They showed that the interaction between PC and nucleic acids occurred.The results from absorption spectra of DNA,DNA melting,electrophoresis and fluorescence polarization studies have indicated that PC binds to DNA in nonintercalative way.Consistent with the nonintercalation,the studies of fluorescence titration and absorption titration specified that the binding of PC to nucleic acids occurred by an outside stacking binding,in which nucleic acids served for acting templates,The fact that the new absorption peaks of bound PC at ca,485nm are just close to the absorption bands of Haggregate of PC at high concentrations without DNA further supports the outside stacking binding mode,In addition,other evidence indicated that the interaction between PC and nucleic acids is not purely electrostatic.


In 2015, the federal government committed to ending drinking water advisories in First Nations communities across Canada by 2021. Their approach involves an increase in monetary commitments to improving water quality infrastructure in priority First Nations communities. The perception surrounding water-based infrastructure investments in First Nations communities is that infrastructure grants will solve the issues related to boil water advisories and allow for all individuals in communities to access clean water. While the investments are overdue and necessary, infrastructure alone does not address the institutional issues related to governance of water for First Nations reserves. Furthermore, as Indigenous peoples have constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights, and international rights (e.g. UNDRIP) of which many are tied to safe water, Indigenous peoples are seeking to incorporate Indigenous laws into their local water governance systems. The goal of this research is to examine gaps in the literature related to First Nations water governance and policy and investigate alternative models of community level water governance. Focusing in Ontario, this research will investigate, the historical context which influences current water governance and created the framework for water management in First Nations communities. By identifying gaps in the planning and implementation projects, this research aims to add to the toolkit of potential solutions and improve the holistic approach to water management within First Nations communities across Ontario.


The objective of this work was to evaluate the leaching of pre-emerging herbicides recommended for sugarcane in clayey and medium soils. The experiments consisted in spraying ametryn + clomazone (1500 + 1000 g ha), isoxaflutol (187.5 g ha) and diuron + hexazinone (1170 + 330 g ha) on top of PVC columns filled with soil. After spraying, simulated rainfall of 10, 20, 40 and 80 mm was applied to the top of the columns. Three days later, Cucumis sativus and Sorghum bicolor were used in bioassays to detect herbicide leaching. The herbicide mixture ametryn + clomazone applied on clayey soil was detected at depths of 20 and 35 cm in applications of 10 and 80 mm of water, respectively. In soil with medium texture, a greater herbicide effect was observed in all the rainfall simulations. With application of 40 and 80 mm water, the herbicide was detected up to 35 cm depth in clayey soil. The herbicide isoxaflutole in clayey soil caused albinism in the aerial part of the plants up to 15 and 25 cm of depth with rainfall of 10 and 80 mm, respectively. In soil with medium texture, the highest rainfall simulations made possible to detect this herbicide up to 30 cm. With rainfall simulation of 80 mm, the herbicide mixture diuron + hexazinone was found at the depth of 30 cm in both soils, causing toxic effects of 25 and 60% on the bio-indicator plants in clayey and medium soil, respectively. It was concluded that all the herbicides assessed show a tendency to be leached under rainfall or artificial irrigation influence, with more pronounced effects in medium soils with lower organic matter content.


To a large extent, social economic and sociocultural processes in a civilized society are determined by the level of development of the sphere of the intellect (science, education, culture, and the arts), and in particular the system of science and education. In the Republic of Armenia, 14.8 percent of all people employed in the economy were working in that sphere in 1990, compared with 13.4 percent in 2002. Within this group, for the two years, 2.8 percent were working in science and science services in 1990 compared with 1.2 percent in 2002, and 12.0 percent were working in the spheres of education, culture, and the arts in 1990 compared with 12.4 percent in 2002. Certainly there have been observable shifts in the sphere of culture and the arts, and there are programs of long-range develop-


HIS subject has in the last few years received a lot of attention from many aspects, but the public health engineer has been posed as many new problems as any section of the consulting staff. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the ways in which the problems have been solved and to emphasize those problems which have not yet received adequate consideration. Tall buildings in this country have mostly been office blocks or flats. Such buildings, although perhaps of similar construction and of equal height, pose problems that require different solutions. Other types of buildings which have had to be dealt with are hotels with tower blocks, but it may be years before the list is increased. Hotel problems will generally fall into either the flat or the Office group, and so may be dealt with on the basis of the limited experience already available. General considerations and office blocks will be dealt with first, and subsequently flats, in so far as they vary from the general considerations. The general construction of office blocks is usually a central core going up through the building which houses the lift and sanitary apartments. From this central core the occupied floor space is cantilevered, or supported. Thus all sanitary apartments are internal, requiring mechanical ventilation and artificial lighting. The fitments, both water closets and lavatory basins, are in ranges; isolated fitments do not generally occur.


Aim:To study the protective effects of scutellarin and borneolum injection(SBI) on the focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and anoxia in mice.Methods:Acute brain ischemia in rats was created in the section of the optimal compatible doses of SBI.The rats and mice were administered with SBI or nimodipine injection via vena caudalis before the operation.The middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) model in rats according to the modified suture-occluded method of Zea Longa was made to measure the neurological deficit score,cerebral edema and infarction area.The neurocytological morphosis of hippocampus was observed according to the pathological section.Some biochemical indicators such as the activity of creatine kinase(CK),superoxide dismutase(SOD),lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) and ATPase were measured.And the content of CK,MDA and LDH were also measured.At the same time,acute brain ischemia in mice was produced by bilateral ligation of carotid arteries with vagus nerves.Acute anoxia in mice was produced by hypoxia under normal pressure.Results:The optimal compatible dose of SBI consisting of scutellarin(12 mg/kg) and borneolum(0.48 mg/kg) was established.Compared with to the MCAO rats,the SBI groups markedly decreased neurological deficit score,the percentage of brain water,cerebral edema and infarction area,while significantly reducing activities of LDH,CK and content of LD,enhancing activity of SOD and T-AOC and declining the content of MDA in brain.SBI significantly prolonged the survival time of hypoxia mice and mice in the acute brain ischemia.Conclusion:SBI has the protective effects on experimental cerebral ischenic in animals.


Before about 1920, all the world's work was accomplished by mechanical moving parts. But the development of the vacuum tube originally for radio opened an entirely new area of other applications. With the ability to amplify small signals and generate new signals of almost any frequency and wave shape, many things involving information handling and processing, formerly done mechanically, could now be done electrically with enormous advantages in speed and cost. By 1930 the technology existed by which new musical instruments were possible, in which the notes, of any pitch and tone quality could be generated electrically. What was oscillating was not a string, sound board, or air column; but only an electric current o r voltage in some circuit; but after processing it electrically in almost any conceivable way and for any purpose, the nal result could be made audible by the loudspeakers developed for radio. The list of potential advantages for keyboard instruments is impressive: 1 Even large variations in temperature and humidity w ould no longer throw a n i n-strument out of tune. 2 One has a much wider variety of pitch and timbre available, so that a single instrument can be made to serve, at the player's will, the musical functions of a piano, harpsichord, clavier, organ, xylophone, carillons, etc.. 3 The quality a s a m usical instrument can be fully as great actually far greater than that of any mechanical instrument. Good timbre can be maintained over a much greater dynamic range than is possible in any acoustical instrument. 4 The instruments can be much more reliable; broken strings, hammers, worn out felts, cracked soundboards, are things of the past. 5 The instruments can be smaller and lighter and much less expensive. One would think that, with all these obvious advantages, they would be exploited at once, and by n o w a revolution in keyboard instruments should have been long since accomplished. But sadly, our task here is not to explain how these wonderful things are done today; rather, we m ust try to understand why they have not yet been done in spite of our full technical capability of doing them. Perhaps the rst commercial electrical instrument to be made in any quantity w as the Hammond organ of the 1930's. y The sound of it became familiar to everyone in the 1940's because it was promoted so vigorously. A radio …


Genotoxicity is the property of chemical agents that damage the genetic information in a cell causing mutations. Genotoxicity study based on in vitro and in vivo method, helps to identify the unwanted effect of chemical entity. Its helps to find the place of DNAdamaging and the recovery paths. In the field of pharmacy there are many regulatory authoritiesworking to control genotoxicic impurities and its affect. In the genotoxicity study there are so many tests like Ames test, Screen test and Potato disk test. The Ames test is a widely employed method that uses bacteria to assess the chemical mutations capacity in the DNA of the test organism. More formally, it is a biological OECD appeal assay to assess the mutagenic potential of chemical compounds. The Ames test performed during the study showed that it can be used to identify the mutagenicity of Cytosine. Which consider as a process impurity present in gemcitabine hydrochloride.


The functionalization of dendrimers and other macromolecules with cationic redox-active organometallics remains a target toward metal-containing dendrimers and polymers that can serve in particular as polyelectrolytes and multielectron redox reagents. Along this line, we report the click functionalization of organometallics and dendrimers with a redox-active ethynylarene iron complex, [FeCp(η6-ethynylmesitylene)][PF6], 3, easily available from [FeCp(η6-mesitylene)][PF6], 1. Complex 3 reacts with azidomethylferrocene upon catalysis by copper sulfate and sodium ascorbate (CuAAC reaction) to give a bimetallic complex that is reduced on the mesitylene ligand to a mixture of isomeric cyclohexadienyl complexes. Complex 3 also reacts according to the same click reaction with zeroth- and first-generation metallodendrimers containing, respectively, 9 and 27 azido termini to provide new polar polycationic metallodendrimers that are reversibly reduced, on the electrochemical time scale, to 19-electron FeI species.


This expanded edition of the student textbook "Fundamentals of Physical Geography", adopts a systems approach to explain the complex interactions of the natural environment. The nature of Earth and its oceans; the Earth's climate and the potential impact of climate change; the main processes of geomorphology; and elements of ecosystems (soils and vegetation) are all explained. Chapters on sensitive environments are included in this edition - polar, Mediterranean, drylands and humid tropical environments - through which the processes introduced in earlier chapters are explored and human-environment interactions are analyzed. Topical global environmental problems such as global warming, population explosion and pressures of economic development, are discussed throughout.


The objective of this chapter is to introduce improvisational self-directed learning as a transformative approach to developing effective adult learning. Improvisational self-directed learning is a method that encourages individuals to leverage their psychological capital and self-directedness through the exercise of human agency. It is common practice to focus on content-related learning objectives while designing educational curriculum and programs. Less routine is a simultaneous focus on the psychological state, human agency, and self-directedness of those involved in the entire process. The type of transformative learning communities necessary for effective 21st century adult education require ongoing faculty and student development. This chapter provides a theoretical framework based on human agency, psychological capital, improvisational behavior, and adult learning. The use of improvisation is presented as a technique for leveraging psychological capital, human agency, and self-directedness to create thriving 21st century learning communities.


This paper concentrates on hierarchical mul ticast trees and their use in ATM networks Multicast capabilities of ATM networks are still very limited It poses many problems for an e cient support of new Internet ap plications However an intensive develop ment and research e ort is being made to en hance PNNI multicast capabilities The in troduction of point to multipoint connections and multipoint to point connections allows to envisage to build sophisticated multicast ser vices It becomes possible to build multipoint to multipoint connections In particular hi erarchical multicast trees have been shown to be easily implemented in ATM networks using the inherent PNNI hierarchy Hierarchical trees have been introduced recently in the In ternet community as they represent the most scalable multicast routing solution for use in large networks Their utilization in ATM net works would allow to better optimize network resources This paper discusses the implementation of hierarchical multicast trees in ATM networks and analyses their performances The total cost used by a hierarchical tree is evaluated by sim ulation as a function of the PNNI hierarchical structure Simple dimensioning rules can be easily deduced


Background Mesenteric panniculitis (MP), a rare fibrotic inflammatory disease of the bowel mesentery, can be a rare manifestation of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). IgG4-RD is a chronic inflammatory disease most commonly affecting the pancreas, characterised by infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells and lymphocytes into various organs.1 We recently encountered a male patient with IgG4-related MP who was incidentally found to have a very high level of CA-125, which correlated with CRP levels and normalised after steroid treatment. This prompted a systematic literature review (SLR) to better understand this unexpected phenomenon. Objectives To investigate for associations between CA-125, MP and/or IGG4-RD, understand possible common pathophysiological mechanisms and explore potential clinical implications. Methods The SLR was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus, looking for literature on either MP and CA-125 or IgG4-RD and CA-125 up to January 8 2018, using a comprehensive search strategy with relevant mesh terms and keywords linked to the above broad categories. Literature screening was performed by two independent reviewers. Results 24 unique citations were found, of which 13 were unanimously identified as relevant by the two reviewers. The final selected articles included: 8 case reports, 3 conference abstracts of case reports, 1 cohort study of 22 patients, and a retrospective study of 7 patients (table 1). CA-125 was raised in 22/40 patients in the identified reports (shown in red), including males, and was often the only elevated tumour marker (yellow). We also report on the presence of effusions (blue), as this may be linked to the causal mechanism. Table 1 The clinical and laboratory characteristics of cases of IgG4-RD and MPAbstract AB1369 – Figure 1 AI Autoimmune, AIH: Autoimmune Hepatitis, AIP: Autoimmune Pancreatitis, SM: Sclerosing Mesenteritis, ↑: Raised, ↔: Normal Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first SLR exploring the association between CA-125 and IgG4-RD and MP. Despite the small sample, our results do indicate that CA-125 was raised in more than 50% of reported cases, the majority of which also had some kind of effusion. Although traditionally a marker of ovarian cancer, this report highlights that a raised CA-125 can be found in other, non-malignant, inflammatory conditions, and potentially correlates with inflammatory burden. CA-125 in this setting may thus represent a useful biomarker and have a role in monitoring treatment response. Reference [1] Minato H, Shimizu J, Arano Y, et al. IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis: a rare mesenteric disease of unknown etiology. Pathol Int. 2012;62:281–6. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Background: The kynurenine pathway catalyzes tryptophan catabolism in mammals. Results: The rate-limiting indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and two other enzymes of the host kynurenine pathway are required for an efficient development of the apicomplexan parasite E. falciformis in mouse. Conclusion: A previously unanticipated pro-parasite function of host tryptophan catabolism is revealed. Significance: An intracellular pathogen subverts the host defense (IFNγ, IDO1) for progression of natural life cycle. The obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites, e.g. Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species, induce an IFNγ-driven induction of host indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of tryptophan catabolism in the kynurenine pathway. Induction of IDO1 supposedly depletes cellular levels of tryptophan in host cells, which is proposed to inhibit the in vitro growth of auxotrophic pathogens. In vivo function of IDO during infections, however, is not clear, let alone controversial. We show that Eimeria falciformis, an apicomplexan parasite infecting the mouse caecum, induces IDO1 in the epithelial cells of the organ, and the enzyme expression coincides with the parasite development. The absence or inhibition of IDO1/2 and of two downstream enzymes in infected animals is detrimental to the Eimeria growth. The reduced parasite yield is not due to a lack of an immunosuppressive effect of IDO1 in the parasitized IDO1−/− or inhibitor-treated mice because they did not show an accentuated Th1 and IFNγ response. Noticeably, the parasite development is entirely rescued by xanthurenic acid, a by-product of tryptophan catabolism inducing exflagellation in male gametes of Plasmodium in the mosquito mid-gut. Our data demonstrate a conceptual subversion of the host defense (IFNγ, IDO) by an intracellular pathogen for progression of its natural life cycle. Besides, we show utility of E. falciformis, a monoxenous parasite of a well appreciated host, i.e. mouse, to identify in vivo factors underlying the parasite-host interactions.


In this paper pointed out the specific functioning of electronic surveillance in the Polish model legislation with special emphasis on the role of this system in the rehabilitation of people covered by it. This article aims to analyze aspects of the rehabilitation of electronic surveillance as an alternative to the currently dominant model of the insulation of imprisonment in a prison as a total institution. The author also pointed to the need to increase the efficiency of electronic surveillance by the introduction of treatment programs that increase the chance of a fuller social rehabilitation of people who are covered by this system.


s and poster presentation NGFNplus network "Functional genomics of Parkinson's disease" in Tübingen, 18-20 April 2013 -"5th conference on advances in molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders" organized by the European Society for Neurochemistry and the Biochemical Society in Bath, UK, 23-26 June 2013


Internet of things (IoT) applications based on wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have recently gained vast momentum. These applications vary from health care, smart cities, and military applications to environmental monitoring and disaster prevention. As a result, energy consumption and network lifetime have become the most critical research area of WSNs. Through energy‐efficient routing protocols, it is possible to reduce energy consumption and extend the network lifetime for WSNs. Using hybrid routing protocols that incorporate multiple transmission methods is an effective way to improve network performance. This paper proposes modulated R‐SEP (MR‐SEP) for large‐scale WSN‐based IoT applications. MR‐SEP is based on the well‐known stable election protocol (SEP). MR‐SEP defines three initial energy levels for the nodes to improve the network energy distribution and establishes multi‐hop communication between the cluster heads (CHs) and the base station (BS) through relay nodes (RNs) to reduce the energy consumption of the nodes to reach the BS. In addition, MR‐SEP reduces the replacement frequency of CHs, which helps increase network lifetime and decrease power consumption. Simulation results show that MR‐SEP outperforms SEP, LEACH, and DEEC protocols by 70.2%, 71.58%, and 74.3%, respectively, in terms of lifetime and by 86.53%, 86.68%, and 86.93% in terms of throughput.


For the past four years, as part of a group of currently and formerly incarcerated scholars, we have researched the "inmates" and staff at the Indiana Women's Prison during the institution's first decade. Then known as the Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women and Girls, the facility was located near downtown Indianapolis on Randolph and Michigan Street. We focused on a key constituent of the Indiana Reformatory for Women and Girls: the girls themselves, heretofore voiceless and uninvestigated. Our primary sources include the annual reports of the reformatory and the original registries for the girls during the survey period of 1873–1884. Contemporary news articles revealed in-depth details, particularly regarding an investigation launched in 1881 concerning allegations of severe physical abuse on the part of the staff committed against the women and girls. We have also derived information from books and articles written by traditional and current scholars, which provide background on the reformatory movement in the 19th century, particularly regarding juveniles. This information allows us to draw a verbal picture of what the average girl looked like coming into and going out of the facility. We give an account of their days, revealing an extremely strict work and education regimen to which they were forced to adhere. They also received * There are so many people to whom we are indebted for their voluntary assistance on this project. Dr. Kelsey Kauffman and Carol Foster for creating the higher-education program and the History Project at our facility, allowing incarcerated women the opportunity to excel and achieve their goals. We would also like to thank our professors Lesley Neff, Meg Galasso, and Elizabeth Nelson for all their time and effort in research and editing. Mary Xiao, Sharon Maes, Catherine Newkirk, and Peper Langhout played a major role in helping us complete this paper. Special thanks to Katherine Tinsley and Peggy Seigel, who ran the Peggy Seigel writing competition for all Indiana undergraduates. Finally, we want to acknowledge our colleagues in the History Project who began and followed through on the history of our prison, paving the way for us.


Extraction of the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs,such as estriol,bisphenol A,17α-ethynylestradiol,estradiol and estrone) in water was investigated based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure with ionic liquid([C6MIM]PF6) as extraction solvent and methanol as dispersive solvent.The distribution coefficients of EDCs between ionic liquid and aqueous phase were compared with those of EDCs between conventional organic solvent and aqueous phase,and the equilibrium molar fractions of EDCs in the system of[C6MIM]PF6-water were correlated with the help of the well-known NRTL equation,and finally,the mechanism of extraction reaction between[C6MIM]PF6 and EDCs was discussed as well.The experimental results show that the highest distribution coefficients of EDCs between[C6MIM]PF6 and aqueous phase were DEE2,followed by DBPA,DE1,DE2 and DE3 in the studied concentration range,and the distribution coefficients of EDCs in the system of [C6MIM]PF6 /water was much higher than that in the system of conventional organic solvent/water,and the molecular interactions among EDCs-extraction solvent-water were validated by NRTL equation.


We present results on the static three- and four-quark potentials in SU(3) and SU(4) respectively within quenched lattice QCD. We use an analytic multi-hit procedure for the time links and a variational approach to determine the ground state. The three- and four-quark potentials extracted are consistent with a sum of two-body potentials, possibly with a weak many-body component. The results give support to the $\Delta$ ansatz for the baryonic area law.


This research focuses on themes of taboo words, functions of using taboo words and intentions of using taboo words used in theWar Dogs movie. This research is descriptive qualitative. The purpose of this study is to describe themes of taboo words, functions of using taboo words and intentions of using taboo words in War Dogs movie. The data from this research is words and sentences that contains taboo words in the subtitle. The data source in this research is the documentation of subtitle from War Dogs movie in English. The author uses the theory of Ljung (2011) in analyzing kinds of themes of taboo words and functions of using taboo words. The author used theory of Searle (1983) in analyzing intentions of using taboo words. The author uses documentation method in collecting the data. The result of this study shows 195 data, consists of three analysis. In analysis of themes, the highest data is sexual activities theme with 142 utterances, second is the scatological theme with 47 utterances, and the lowest are the religious theme and the sex organ theme with same data 3 utterances. In analysis functions of using taboo words, the highest data is expletive interjections with 58 utterances, second is name calling with 33 utterances, third is emphasis with 32 utterances, forth is noun support with 21 utterances, fifth is anaphoric use of epithets with 14 utterances, sixth is adjectival intensifiers with 13 utterances, seventh is curses with 7 utterances, eighth is unfriendly suggestions with 7 utterances, ninth is ritual insults with 5 utterances, tenth is adjectives of dislike with 3 utterances and the last is oaths with 2 utterances. And in analysis intentions of using taboo words there are 30 intentions. The highest data of intentions of using taboo words is Swearing with 53 utterances, second is Complaining 17 utterances, third is Asserting with 17 utterances, fourth is Questioning with 13 utterances, fifth is Declaring with 13 utterances, sixth is Surprising with 12 utterances, seventh is Showing Anger with 9 utterances, eighth is Mocking with 8 utterances, ninth is Disbelieving, tenth is Inviting, eleventh is Agreeing, twelfth is Disappointing, thirteenth is Naming, fourteenth is Rejecting, fifteenthly is Exciting, sixteenth is Annoyance, seventeenth is Warning, eighteenth is Impressing and the lowest data belongs to Relieving, Hoping, Criticizing, Worrying, Shocking, Praising, Showing Proud, Disagreeing, Suggesting, Believing and Convincing, all are same with 1 utterances.


BACKGROUND: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) as ideal seed cells have been worldwide confirmed to improve the microcirculation in the necrotic area of the femoral head. OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy of autologous BMSCs transplantation in the treatment of early necrosis of the femoral head. METHODS: (1) In vitro experiment. Osteoblasts were co‐cultured with BMSCs using Transwell system as experimental group, osteoblasts cultured normally as blank group, and osteoblasts cultured in serum‐free medium as control group. MTT was used to detect cell viability at 3 days of culture, flow cytometry used to detect cell apoptosis, and ELISA used to detect levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in the culture medium. (2) In vivo experiment. Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into three groups: blank group, control group (core decompression plus normal saline injection), and experimental group (core decompression plus autologous BMSCs injection). Femoral head samples from white rabbits were taken for hematoxylin‐eosin and immunohistochemical staining at 7 days after cell transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the control and blank groups, the experimental group showed increased osteoblast proliferation, decreased osteoblast apoptosis, and enhanced levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in the culture medium (all P < 0.05). (2) In the control group, broken trabecular bone in the femoral head, evident adipocyte necrosis and a large number of empty bone lacunae were detected. In the experimental group, the number of osteoblasts and capillaries was increased as compared with the control group. The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in the necrotic area of the femoral head were significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). To conclude, BMSCs transplantation can improve the microcirculation in the necrotic area of the femoral head by increasing the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2.


This special issue is one devoted to selected papers from the ACM 2000 Java Grande Conference. It was held in San Francisco on June 3–4, 2000. All the papers have been revised and re-refereed to ensure appropriate journal quality. This was the fifth of a series of meetings, exploring the use of the Java programming language for scientific and engineering computing and high-performance network computing—a range of applications that has been denoted with the epithet 'Grande'. The previous Java Grande workshops were held very successfully in Syracuse in 1996, Las Vegas in 1997, Palo Alto in 1998 and San Francisco in 1999. The proceedings were also published in special issues of Concurrency: Practice and Experience (volume 9, issues 6 and 11; volume 10, issues 11–13; volume 12 issues 6–8). The Java Grande conference focuses on the use of Java in the broad area of high-performance computing, including engineering and scientific applications, simulations, data-intensive applications, and other emerging application areas that exploit parallel and distributed computing or combine communication and computing. We believe that Java will play an increasingly important role in these areas. The goal is to provide feedback to users and language developers on what is required to successfully deploy Java in a broad range of scientific and high-performance network computing systems. Topics covered by Java Grande include:


A water quality sampling network was established in the nearshore areas of Lakes Ontario and Erie by the Ontario Water Resources Commission in 1966. Monitoring consisted of the collec tion of grab samples by a survey vessel at designated locations of interest. The samples were then analyzed for various biological, chemical, and physical char acteristics both on board the vessel and at a shore-based laboratory according to "Standard Methods." ^2 Over the years sampling and analytical techniques have improved and produced more useful and reliable results, but this complicates comparisons of data obtained over periods of several years. It is pos sible, however, to compare results obtained in different years by judiciously selecting characteristics which have remained con


In this work, the version 3.0 of the neutron spectrum unfolding code called Neutron Spectrometry and Dosimetry from Universidad Autnoma of Zacatecas (NSDUAZ), is presented. This code was designed in a graphical interface under the LabVIEW programming environment and it is based on the iterative SPUNIT iterative algorithm, using as entrance data, only the rate counts obtained with 7 Bonner Spheres based on a 6LiI(Eu) neutron detector. The main features of the code are: it is intuitive and friendly to the user; it has a programming routine which automatically selects the "initial guess" spectrum by using a set of neutron spectra compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Besides the neutron spectrum, this code calculates the total flux, the mean energy, H*(10), h*(10), 15 dosimetric quantities for radiation protection porpoises and 7 survey meter responses, in four energy grids, based on the International Atomic Energy Agency compilation. This code generates a full report in html format with all relevant information. In this work, the neutron spectrum of a 241AmBe neutron source on air, located at 150 cm from detector, is unfolded.


Arecent discussion in Nature has raised again the old problem of the clock paradox. A traveller moves at high speed to a star and returns. Owing to the "relativistic contraction of time," the journey takes a shorter time for him than for the inhabitants of the Earth, so that he returns in all respects younger than he would have been had he stayed at home.


Objective To explore the use of low-frequency ultrasound associated with microbubbles to open the blood brain barrier (BBB) through the skull. Methods ①To inject microbubbles through veins, then irradiate the mouse head by low-frequency ultrasound with 43 kHz in frequency and 2 W/cm~2 in intensity for 5 minutes. ②To observe the change of brain tissue and ultrastructure by fluorescence microscope with Evans Blue (EB) dyeing, electro-microscope with La footprint and transmission electro-microscope. Results Use of low-frequency ultrasound associated with microbubbles through the skull could accelerate EB and La ion to transverse transfer the endothelium of vessels with manifold forms. Conclusion Low-frequency ultrasound associated with micro-bubble could open the BBB reversedly and locally, and could provide a new strategy for drugs to enter the brain.


Li, X., Ziadi, N., Belanger, G., Cai, Z. and Xu, H. 2011. Cadmium accumulation in wheat grain as affected by mineral N fertilizer and soil characteristics. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 521–531. Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal distributed in soil by natural processes and anthropogenic activities. It can accumulate in crops, such as spring milling wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and its accumulation depends on crop species, soil factors, and agricultural practices like fertilizer inputs. Our objective was to study the effect of mineral N fertilizer and soil characteristics on wheat grain Cd concentration. A field study was conducted over 12 site-years (2004–2006) in Quebec, with four N application rates (0, 40, 120, and 200 kg N ha−1). Wheat grain samples (n=192) were analysed for their Cd and N concentrations. Soil samples (n=48) taken before N fertilizer application were characterised for their chemical and physical properties, including Mehlich-3 extractable Cd concentration. Wheat grain Cd concentration increased ...


This thesis has focused on digital born personal archives; how they are different from analog paper archives and possible ways to overbridge these differences. It is also studied how archivists and ...


In 1987, Franke introduced a new algorithm for the extrapolation of discrete signals. It allows the reconstruction and the extrapolation of texture segments on supports where the contour information is no longer included. This method is called the selective deconvolution and works as an iterative process using the Fourier transform and it inverse. In this paper, we study the integration of the selective deconvolution method into a multiresolution scheme. In a first algorithm, we propose to apply the selective deconvolution introduced by Franke on each one of the subband signals obtained at the output of an analysis stage. The goal of this integration is both to gain computation time and to obtain a multiresolution representation of the texture segment. Franke proposes the D.F.T. as spectral operator in his algorithm. Actually, more general spectral operators can also be considered. Therefore, in a second part of this paper, we study an iterative selective deconvolution method based on a subband decomposition rather on the D.F.T..


This notice announces that the increase in the Medicare Economic Index for fee screen year (FSY) 1988, beginning on January 1, 1988, is 3.6 percent.


Cookstove replacement trials have found mixed results on their impact on respiratory health. The limited range of concentrations and small sample sizes of individual studies are important factors that may be limiting their statistical power. We present a hierarchical approach to modeling exposure concentrations and pooling data from multiple studies in order to estimate a common exposure-response curve. The exposure concentration model accommodates temporally sparse, clustered longitudinal observations. The exposure-response curve model provides a flexible, semi-parametric estimate of the exposure-response relationship while accommodating heterogeneous clustered data. We apply this model to data from three studies of cookstoves and respiratory infections in children in Nepal, which represent three study types: crossover trial, parallel trial, and case-control study. We find evidence of increased odds of disease for particulate matter concentrations between 50 and 200 $\mu$g/m$^3$ and a flattening of the exposure-response curve for higher exposure concentrations. The model we present can incorporate additional studies and be applied to other settings.


The objective of this paper is to analyze the consequences of including en- vironment of players in the Cournot-Nash competition. A two-persons non-cooperative game is considered. The environment is expressed in terms of \others". The function of the environment is to maintain its equilibrium. The equilibrium point of the environment is upgraded if the strategies of one or both players have a favorable impact on the en- vironment. The equilibrium stays at its previous level otherwise. The equilibrium point of the environment is called an environmental attractor. The environmental attractor aects the strategies of the players which in turn dene the reaction functions and the pay-o functions. It is shown that in the presence of an environmental attractor, players can not reach a Nash point. In fact the reaction functions of the players act as orbits around the environmental attractor. Thus each player has a nite but compact number of strategies compatible with the environment available to them. As long as the equilibrium of the environment is maintained, any of the orbits will be acceptable choices for the players. An environmental model of a two-persons competition game is given, and the consequences are studied.


The rectangular piezoelectric resonators with longitudinal and bending mode were researched and the structure was improved.Put forward a novel linear ultrasonic motor and is introduced its structure and principle.The solid model of the piezoelectric resonator was built and the analyses of modal and harmonic responses for the piezoelectric resonator were executed.First-order longitudinal mode and second-order bending mode of the piezoelectric resonator were degenerated.The frequencies of the piezoelectric resonator on the B2 mode and L1 mode with the elastic cut holes are lower than ones with the elastic without holes.The frequency of the B2 and L1 vibration mode of the piezoelectric resonator was optimized.Result of this research is base for making ultrasonic prototype and the experiment of ultrasonic.


Provided is a greenhouse device monitoring growth factor of a plant factory and a monitoring method thereof. The device and the method are applied in a greenhouse. The greenhouse device comprises a carbon dioxide monitoring module, an ozone monitoring module, and an ethylene monitoring module. The carbon dioxide monitoring module monitors carbon dioxide concentration in the greenhouse. The ozone monitoring module monitors ozone concentration in the greenhouse. Ozone treatment is performed on the greenhouse through the ozone supplied by the ozone monitoring module. The ethylene monitoring module monitors ethylene concentration in the greenhouse.


Essential oils of fennel, peppermint and caraway were formulated in the form of emulsifiable concentrates. Different concentrations of the formulated oils were prepared. The prepared concentrations were tested in vivo for their inhibitory activity against the growth of Fusarium oxysporum (the casual agent of dry rot on potato). The results showed that different concentrations of the formulated fennel, peppermint and caraway oils exerted highly toxicity against the inoculated fungus. In addition, all formulated oils with different forms showed high activity for controlling the decay when applied as protective and therapeutic agents.


Objective To evaluate the security of Fluorite.Methods The atomic absorption spectrophotometry(AAS) was used to determine the content of Pb,Cr,As,Hg and Cu in decoction and artificial gastric juice of Fluorite.Results The dissolution rates of Pb,Cr,As and Hg in Fluorite decoction were all higher than those in artificial gastric juice of fluorite,but the dissolution amount of Pb,Cr,As,Hg and Cu in decoction and in artificial gastric juice of Fluorite were all far below the maximum allowable daily intake.Conclusion Fluorite is safe to be used in clinic.


The sample of this study conducted to determine the Ecological Footprint Awareness levels of consumers is composed of 385 consumers residing in different districts of Ankara selected by stratified sampling and simple random sampling methods. The "Ecological Footprint Awareness Scale" was used as a data collection tool in the study. As a result of the study, consumers were found to have a low level of Ecological Footprint averages. The factor with the highest ecological footprint awareness level was found to be the food factor and the factor with the least awareness level was determined to be the energy factor. It was also found that men had more awareness of Ecological Footprint than women and showed a significant difference in waste factor according to educational status. In the future, researchers are suggested to work on the preparation of educational materials by using technology to improve consumer awareness of Ecological Footprint


We report experimental transport results in 2D electron systems exposed to dipole radiation up to 20 GHz. Magnetoresistance oscillations occur as seen with higher frequency radiation; however, minima here can be seen to extend to negative biases, and zeros are not observed persistently around sample perimeters. Under radiation, voltages are generated from internal to external contacts in the absence of applied driving currents. These findings may be consistent with theoretical pictures of current instabilities due to local negative resistivities.


The arguments proving need of introduction of economical production by the Russian enterprises for development of own competitive advantages are presented. Concepts of competitiveness of the enterprises at the heart of which the combination of the features made production and features of a production activity of the subject is used are considered. The most significant actions for introduction of economical production on JSC Avistar-JV are allocated. Communication of introduction of economical production by the Russian enterprises for increase of their competitiveness is tracked.


The South African government is committed to ensuring a 'better life for all'. It is for this reason that a local sphere of government is accountable for the timely delivery of services to the communities concerned. This notion is in line with the developmental mandate of local government as depicted in Chapter 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. In accordance with the National Development Plan 2030, there is a need to strengthen local government. The new information age that local communities live in may, somehow, expose the gaps that government could seek to minimise by adequately providing services to its customers. For a local sphere of government to achieve its developmental mandate, an application of e-governance could be relevant. This article, thus, provides an understanding of the concepts of e-government and e-governance, since such concepts are often used interchangeably. A qualitative research approach is employed in this research, with an attempt to explore e-governance in local government and how it could be employed to enhance the provision of services. Furthermore, this article provides conclusions and recommendations emanating from a literature review and observations.


The microscopic structure of vortex cores in high- T c superconductors is studied using the two-dimensional t - J model under a uniformly applied magnetic field. The spatial dependence of the pair potential is calculated for various doping rates via the Gutzwiller approximation, in which the effect of strong correlation is taken into account. The results show that, in the wide range of doping rates, the pair potential has d -wave nature and the local density of states near the core center shows a zero-energy peak. However, in the low-doping region, an s -wave component is locally induced around the core and the zero-energy peak splits into two levels. This doping-dependence is characteristic of the t - J model. Our results give a possible explanation for the experimental observation by scanning tunneling spectroscopy [Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995) 2200] which demonstrates the splitting of the local density of states.


A converter control system with current-limiting protected function is designed based on phase -shifted fullbridge DC/DC converter.PI controller is adopted in the voltage loop and the current-limiting loop.This paper introduces the relationship between the voltage loop and the current-limiting loop.Two current-limiting modes are adopted in the device and the calculation methods are given,and they are analyzed and verified in the experiment.The experimental results prove that the performance of the system is good.


There are three aims of the research: (1) examine the effect learning strategy (problem based learning and discovery learning) toward mathematics learning achievement, (2) examine the effect of learning interest toward mathematics learning achievement, (3) examine the interaction between learning strategy and learning interest toward mathematics learning achievement. The type of research was a quantitative research with quasi experimental design. The sampling technique used cluster random sampling. The population of the research was all students of VII Grade of SMP Negeri 2 Sawit yaer 2016/2017. The research sample consisted of two classes. Methode of data collection use the test, questionnaires, and documentation. Data were analyzed use analysis of variance with two different cell lines that ware previously done using methode Lillifors normality test and homogenity test using Bartlett method. The findings of the research with α=5% (1) there was signification effect between of learning strategy toward mathematics learning achievement, (2) there was signification effect between of learning interest toward mathematics learning achievement, (3) there was no interaction between learning strategy and interest in learning toward mathematics learning achievement.


Abstract Robenidine is a new anticoccidial agent effective at 30 g. per ton in feed. Three floor-pen trials were conducted in which the performance of broiler chickens fed rations containing 30, 60, 150, 180 or 300 g. robenidine per ton of feed from one day to 56 days of age was compared with nonmedicated chickens. The continuous feeding of robenidine at levels up to six times the recommended use level had no adverse effects on body weight gains, feed conversion or livability. Growth depression and reduced feed efficiency were observed at the highest level (300 g./ton), ten times the recommended use level when compared with chickens fed the basal ration. No adverse effects were observed based on gross and histopathologic data comparing medicated and control chickens.


Nanoplastics (NPs) are an emerging environmental pollutant. NPs can spike various tissues results to oxidative stress and tissue damage in organisms. While recent studies have reported a relationship between nanoparticles and respiratory system injury, the speci�c mechanism of NP exposure-induced lung damage remains to be explored. In the present study, C57BL6 male mice were treated intraperitoneal injection of PS-NPs and/or LPS. The relevant indicators were detected by HE staining, western blotting and qRT-PCR. RAW264.7 was pretreated with JAK2 inhibitor (AG490) to verify whether the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is involved in PS-NPs exposure enhances LPS-induced pulmonary in�ammatory response. We found decreased antioxidant capacity in mice lungs, activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, and the expression levels of macrophage M1 marker genes increased (including CD16, CD86, and MCP1), while macrophage M2 marker genes (including CD206, PPAR γ , and Arg1) expression levels decreased, resulting in a macrophage M1/M2 imbalance. In addition, PS-NPs can increase the expression of inammation-related factors IL-1 β , TNF-α and IL-6. In in vitro experiments, we obtained similar results to in vivo experiments. More importantly, the JAK2 pathway inhibitor AG490 reversed ROS-induced changes in macrophage imbalance and in�ammation in PS-NPs and LPS-exposed RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, PS-NPs activated the ROS/JAK/STAT pathway, aggravated LPS-induced lung M1/M2 macrophage imbalance and promoted in�ammatory responses. Our results enrich the toxic effects and related molecular mechanisms of NPs-induced lung in�ammation, and provide new insights into the toxic effects of NPs on mammals.


Oil and gas development projects are characterized by numerous contractual agreements. This forms a complex organization, with the challenge to coordinate diverse and interrelated stakeholders at different moments in the project. A critical issue is the communication and coordination between actors on cross-boundaries decisions. This is notably due to the classical definition of organizational boundaries, with several physical packages and, of course, several contractors. The approach consists in, first, modeling interdependencies between project elements such as product components, activities, and organizational entities. Second, some complex phenomena such as propagation chains and loops are identified, in order to anticipate potential undesired consequences if those are not properly managed. Third, an organizational reshuffling is computed, based on the double objective of incorporating at best within clusters the critical interactions and the critical complex phenomena. Results show an improvement on both objectives compared to current organization, meaning that communication and coordination about some crucial cross-boundaries decisions are expected to be facilitated within and between clusters. An industrial application in the oil and gas sector is introduced in order to highlight possible benefits and implementation strategies for such an approach.


Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treatment of muscle dysfunction, including diabetes. In addition, the invention relates to therapeutic compositions comprising nucleotides and/or polypeptides of the invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the composition facilitates the treatment of skeletal musle disorders. Moreover, the invention relates to the treatment and/or prevention of pathological conditions associated with altered intracellular Ca2+ reulgation and disrupted membrane structure that occurs when the expression levels of MG29 are reduced.


Abstract What does environmental policy‐making reveal about the rule‐making process in the European Union? In the light of environmental policy developments, this article proposes that the EU be regarded as a system of governance operating on the principle of concurrent majorities among leading actors. European environmental standards are neither functionally related to the Single Market nor a reflection of a dominant coalition of countries pushing their own national style of regulation nor even a merry‐go‐round in which different countries have a go at imposing their own national style in a sector that is of particular importance to them. Instead, they are the aggregated and transformed standards of their original champions modified under the need to secure political accommodation from powerful actors within the structure of decision‐making in which veto power is widely distributed. Some pathologies of this decision structure are also indicated.


The titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V is one of the most frequently used materials for biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties. However, wide usage of Ti-6Al-4V sheet is limited by its poor room-temperature formability. Therefore, hot Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) has been used to improve its formability. This paper aims at proving the feasibility of the hot incremental forming of an acetabular component of hip prosthesis by Finite Element simulations. The effect of process parameters, namely the forming temperature and the punch diameter on the geometric accuracy and the failure of the final product are investigated.


Put forward two contradictory relationships that the sieve bar size with the sieve bore and its water permeability with the quantity through the sieve. A reasonable solution to the problem is the optimisation of the sieve bar's size and shape. Design a new circular arc corrugated sieve plate (CACSP) and make tests. After analysis the data obtained from the industrial test confirmed that the design is a good plan.


Total variation (TV) is one of the most popular regularizers in the context of ill-posed image reconstruction problems. Due to its particular structure, minimization of a TV-regularized function with a fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm (FISTA) requires additional sub-iterations, which may lead to a prohibitively slow reconstruction when dealing with very large scale imaging problems. In this work, we introduce a novel variant of FISTA for isotropic TV that circumvents the need for subiterations. Specifically, our algorithm replaces the exact TV proximal with a componentwise thresholding of the image gradient in a way that ensures the convergence of the algorithm to the true TV solution with arbitrarily high precision. International Traveling Workshop on Interactions Between Sparse Models and Technology (iTWIST) This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright c © Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc., 2016 201 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Minimizing Isotropic Total Variation without Subiterations


The paper analyses ways of obtaining the literature information resource, ability of using the library and situations of literature search knowledge in the university libraries in Fujian Province under network environment. It points out that libraries should do a good job in propaganda, unfold information quality education of all kinds so as to improve the utilization rate of each document types.


The recording of electrocochleography (ECochG) to tone burst stimuli with a high rate is hypothesized to provide advantages over standard click ECochG with slow rate. Specifically, the use of tone burst stimuli presented at a high rate may enhance the summating potential (SP) while also reducing neural contributions in the response. To allow for the analysis of the complex ECochG responses to high rates, the Continuous Loop Averaging Deconvolution (CLAD) technique was employed to deconvolve the responses. This study examined the effect of high rate and stimulus duration on the SP amplitude of tone burst extratympanic ECochG in 20 adult females with normal hearing. ECochG was recorded using 500 Hz and 2000 Hz stimuli with varied durations (12 ms, 6 ms, 3 ms) and five rates ranging from 7.1/s to 234.38/s. Within-subject repeated measures (rate x duration) analysis of variance were conducted. For both 500 Hz and 2000 Hz, the mean deconvolved SP amplitudes were larger at faster rates compared to slower rates, and larger at shorter duration than longer duration. With the long durations, the increase in SP amplitude with high rate is thought to be due to changes in cochlear mechanics and nonlinearity of the inner hair cells. However, the large amplitude measured in the short duration conditions is mostly due to the contribution of the action potential in the recording. Our study supports the use of the CLAD technique with tone burst ECochG and provides normative data upon which further research can build.


This paper examines the relationship between leadership
in Total Quality
Management
, perceived organizational support and job performa
nce. The data of
this research is collected by interview approach and questionnaires forms. 100
completed survey questionnaires have been collected from the workers who have
worked in Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Negeri Sarawak. The outcomes of
hypotheses
testing using correlation analysis showed that there
is significant
relationship
between
participative
leadership in TQM setting and job performance.
The outcomes of hypotheses testing using hierarchical regression analysis showed
that perceived organizat
ional support as a moderator in the relationship between
participative leadership in TQM setting
and job performance.


There ought to be an effective water supply system with reliable functions to guarantee safe and reliable running of a large steel plant of stainless steel in the world.The experience to construct the water supply system for 1500000 tons steelmaking engineering of stainless steel of Taiyuan Iron Steel(Group) Co.,Ltd is introduced.


This paper explores the topology of monotone Lagrangian submanifolds $L$ inside a symplectic manifold $M$ by exploiting the relationships between the quantum homology of $M$ and various quantum structures associated to the Lagrangian $L$.


The relatively indolent nature of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (NET) and their proclivity to be hormonally active warrants aggressive multimodal treatment, even for advanced stage disease. Good results have been reported in well-selected patients with a median of 23 liver metastases (LM) from NET treated with surgical resection combined with intraoperative radiofrequency ablation. We report the case of a patient who underwent percutaneous laser thermal ablation (LTA) of 22 small LM from NET, treated over three consecutive sessions. After 2 years, five new LM were detected and treated with LTA. At present, 82 months after the first LTA session, the patient is still alive and disease-free. Due to enabling the use of one to four optical fibres at once to tailor the thermal lesion size to the nodule size, LTA could represent the ablation technique of choice in the presence of multiple, small, and variably sized LM.


Introduction and Aims:  Elevated plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations play a role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (2DM). Antilipolytic agents that reduce FFA concentrations may be potentially useful in the treatment of 2DM. Our previous observation that CVT‐3619 lowered plasma FFA and triglyceride concentrations in rats and enhanced insulin sensitivity in rodents with dietary‐induced forms of insulin resistance suggested that it might be of use in the treatment of patients with 2DM. The present study was undertaken to compare the antilipolytic effects of CVT‐3619 in normal (Sprague Dawley, SD) and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats.


Both chemical (Harington, 1944, 1945; von Mutzenbecher, 1939; Block, 1940, Reineke and Turner, 1942) and biochemical evidence (Perlman et al., 1941; Morton et al., 1943; Taurog et al., 1947; Leblond, 1942) has shown that at least 2 steps are involved in the synthesis of thy.roxine: 1) iodination of tyrosine to form diiodotyrosine and 2) coupling of 2 diiodotyrosine molecules to form thyroxine. While the exact nature of step 1 is not well understood, it is apparent that the iodide reaching the thyroid gland from the blood must be oxidized either to I2 or to HIO before it can be incorporated into the phenolic group of tyrosine. The subsequent coupling of 2 diiodotyrosine molecules is believed by both Harington (1945) and Johnson and Tewkesbury (1942) to be an oxidative reaction in which the oxidized form of iodide (I2 or HIO) plays a significant role.


BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Iran as one of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region is under-studied. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the perspective of people with SCI and service providers about vocational rehabilitation challenges. METHODS: We used an ethnographic methodology to collect data. Observation (2018 –2020) and semi-structured interviews with 21 persons with SCI and 11 service providers were the data collection methods, and a thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Results demonstrate that career self-knowledge (knowledge about capabilities, aspirations, and interests) and career knowledge (the importance of career exploration, vocational support and job characteristics) were the main two vocational rehabilitation resources. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge (about the self and careers) is the main resource mentioned by the participants regarding the vocational rehabilitation. Implications for professionals and policy makers are presented.


tify the absence of peripheral details (such as use of a 'poster-catalogue' in lieu of more elaborate publications). Choice of format also, very unfortunately, excludes an adequate treatment of color and texture, vital factors in a successful exhibition. Headings and sub-headings assist the quick location of the various sections. However, the importance of key guidelines could have been more emphatically presented. Checklist summaries would have been one means of highlighting them. Readers may be troubled by other flaws in the presentation. Explanatory captions are applied in apparently random manner to illustrations and for some the quality of reproduction severely limits their value. Others seem adrift from the text, neither juxtaposed to the appropriate section nor tied verbally.


This work proposes a system of extracurricular activities applying a systemic approach in order to increase the membership of the elderly in the Senior Citizen Association based on their likes and preferences and with the participation of all the political and mass organizations of the community.


The authors examined individual differences in reading development in English and Finnish. English-speaking Canadian children were assessed once per year in Grades 1-5, and Finnish children were assessed twice per year in Grades 1-2. Results from latent growth curve and simplex analyses showed that initial status was generally negatively associated with subsequent growth and that, although stable, individual differences were more likely to significantly decrease than to increase across the measurement points. Growth mixture models identified multiple groups of children whose reading development followed distinct patterns. The results indicate that it is possible for educational systems to significantly reduce individual differences in basic reading skills during early reading development.


Background: Positional apparatuses used for the prone position can affect intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). In this study, we compared the IAP after changing to the prone position and applying various positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels among 3 prone positional apparatuses. Methods: A total of 108 healthy euvolemic patients undergoing elective prone spinal surgery were divided into 3 groups based on the positional apparatus used: the Jackson spinal table was used in group J (n=36), the Wilson frame in group W (n=36), and chest rolls in group C (n=36). The IAP was measured 2 minutes after application of 0, 3, 6, and 9 cm H2O of PEEP. Results: The IAP in the supine position was 6.4±3.0, 5.9±2.8, and 7.1±2.5 mm Hg in groups J, C, and W, respectively. After the supine-to-prone positional change, the IAP in the prone position was significantly lower in group J than in groups C and W (2.7±2.9 vs. 8.9±4.0 and 12.9±4.3 mm Hg, P<0.01). In the prone position, a PEEP of 9 cm H2O increased the IAP from baseline (zero PEEP) by 1.5±1.3, 1.6±1.3, and 1.7±1.0 mm Hg in groups J, C, and W, respectively. Conclusions: The IAP in the prone position was significantly lower using the Jackson table compared with the Wilson frame and chest rolls. A PEEP up to 9 cm H2O can be safely used in healthy euvolemic patients undergoing prone spinal surgery without a clinically significant increase in IAP, irrespective of the type of prone positional apparatus.


Objective. —To examine more closely the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and Alzheimer disease (AD) by age and sex in populations of various ethnic and racial denominations. Data Sources. —Forty research teams contributed data onAPOEgenotype, sex, age at disease onset, and ethnic background for 5930 patients who met criteria for probable or definite AD and 8607 controls without dementia who were recruited from clinical, community, and brain bank sources. Main Outcome Measures. —Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cls) for AD, adjusted for age and study and stratified by major ethnic group (Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Japanese) and source, were computed forAPOEgenotypes ∈2/∈2,∈2/∈3,∈2/∈4,∈3/∈4 and ∈4/∈4 relative to the ∈3/∈3 group. The influence of age and sex on the OR for each genotype was assessed using logistic regression procedures. Results. —Among Caucasian subjects from clinic- or autopsy-based studies, the risk of AD was significantly increased for people with genotypes ∈2/∈4 (OR=2.6, 95% Cl=1.6-4.0), ∈3/∈4 (OR=3.2, 95% Cl=2.8-3.8), and ∈4/∈4 (OR=14.9, 95% CI=10.8-20.6); whereas, the ORs were decreased for people with genotypes ∈2/∈2 (OR=0.6, 95% Cl=0.2-2.0) and ∈2/∈3 (OR=0.6, 95% Cl=0.5-0.8). TheAPOE∈4-AD association was weaker among African Americans and Hispanics, but there was significant heterogeneity in ORs among studies of African Americans (P Conclusions. —TheAPOE∈4 allele represents a major risk factor for AD in all ethnic groups studied, across all ages between 40 and 90 years, and in both men and women. The association betweenAPOE∈4 and AD in African Americans requires clarification, and the attenuated effect ofAPOE∈4 in Hispanics should be investigated further.


In the end, I suppose that it is everyone's struggle to make sense of all the pieces that make up our multifaceted selves, and it is tempting to put each into a box with a label that is easy to understand. But my study of Italian American identity this semester has only confirmed the notion that we humans cannot be labeled so neatly; in doing so we only confine and limit ourselves. We become less than we are by holding on to stagnant ideas when in reality we as both persons and cultures are constantly changing. Perhaps the ultimate struggle in exploring ethnic identity is to accept the impossibility of perfectly understanding everything and to embrace the complexities that make us whole, vibrant and real. Clearly the study of a subject as vast as ethnicity, Italian Americans, or even one's personal ethnic identity is always a work in process. Just like my nine-year old self who proudly drew an Italian flag, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have such an interesting and identifiable ethnic identity. Even though I know that it will require ongoing study and effort to more fully explore, I believe that it makes my life and sense of self all the more rich and meaningful.


When humans are exposed to body heating, the large increase in skin blood flow (up to 7–8 l min−1) is of reflex origin and, in non-glabrous skin, most of that is active, distinct from the 'passive' vasodilatation achieved by withdrawal of tonic vasoconstrictor nerve activity (see Johnson et al. 1996). This conclusion from classic studies, based on cutaneous nerve block and surgical sympathectomy, has been confirmed through selective pharmacological antagonism of either vasoconstrictor or vasodilator function (Kellogg et al. 1991, 1995). Thus, there are at least two independent mechanisms of sympathetic control of the cutaneous circulation: adrenergic vasoconstriction and active vasodilatation (AVD).


Our paper presents microbiological air pollution inside and outside two different poultry farms in Lower Silesia, Poland. The smaller poultry house (A) with 18,000 broiler chickens was surrounded by a protective green tree belt; the larger poultry house (45,000) was surrounded by a field without trees. Air samples were taken at ten sampling sites using a MAS-100 air sampler (Merck) in the summer, autumn, and winter of 2009 and in spring 2010. Seasonal variations were observed in all locations with regard to the numerous microorganisms. According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference between the total number of bacteria in the indoor air of the poultry houses and surrounding area was statistically significant. It has been stated that the total number of heterotrophic bacteria (as CFU/m 3 ) in distant points (10 m, 50 m, 100 m) in summer at houses A and B was higher with regard to Polish Norms and ranged between between 6.0×10


Model transformations are a central element of model-driven
development (MDD) approaches such as the model-driven architecture (MDA). The correctness of model transformations is critical to their effective use in practical software development, since users must be able
to rely upon the transformations correctly preserving the semantics of models. In this paper we define a formal semantics for model transformations, and provide techniques for proving the termination, confluence and correctness of model transformations.


The Human Rights abuses suffered by detainees held at Guantanamo Bay have dominated many of the cases before the United Kingdom"s Courts involving detainees. The Human Rights Act 1998, still new to the statute book, loomed large in the detainees" arguments. The decisions in these cases, however, often relegate such factors to the background to the case. This article examines why the Courts deciding these cases declined to develop the law of diplomatic protection on the basis of Human Rights concerns, and why such arguments continued to be employed. Furthermore, it assesses why the Courts have shown greater receptiveness to arguments similarly grounded in accusations of inhuman and degrading treatment in relation to later cases involving former detainees challenging the role of the British Government in their detention.


Proximate composition of 19 species of marine Gastropoda and one of marine Amphineura have been studied. Seasonal variations in proximate composition of the meat of gastropods, Thais rugosa (Born), are reported. Majority of the gastropod species have high protein and ash contents.


To observe and describe the stiffness changes of the optic nerve in the patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with or without optic neuritis and healthy adults via shear wave elastography (SWE).


Background: Anatomic fixation of the graft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has improved stability of the reconstructed knee joint in experimental studies. Hypothesis: Anatomic fixation of the bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft will reduce tunnel enlargement and improve clinical results. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Sixty patients were randomly divided into three groups: a nonanatomic fixation group (traditional single-incision reconstruction), an anatomic fixation group (reconstruction in which a bone plug was grafted into the tibial tunnel), and an anatomic fixation group with all-inside reconstruction. Stability of the knee joint was examined with a KT-1000 arthrometer at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. At 12 months, anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were made to assess tunnel enlargement. Results: Although the magnitude of tibial displacement gradually increased after reconstruction in all three groups, the anatomic fixation group had significantly better stability than the groups undergoing nonanatomic fixation or all-inside anatomic fixation at 4 and 6 months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. However, there was no significant difference between the three groups at 24 months. Regarding the tibial tunnel, residual rates and enlargement of tunnels were different between the reconstruction techniques. The nonanatomic reconstruction group had significantly greater tunnel enlargement. Conclusion: Anatomic fixation of the graft decreased the tunnel enlargement but had no effect on knee stability at 2-year follow-up.


Writing in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January 2010, Mats Lundahl and Justin Podur attempt to account for the country's inability to extricate itself from what appears to be a series of deep-seated and unending crises. In The Political Economy of Disaster, Lundahl, a Swedish economist and leading scholar on Haiti, offers an institutional approach to understand the historical roots of the country's woes. He proposes a neoliberal process of industrialization as the only viable alternative lest the island descend into furtherpoverty andunderdevelopment. By contrast, inHaiti'sNew Dictatorship, Podur contends that Haiti was on its way to a democratic and progressive transformation under the presidency of Jean-BertrandAristide, but that a constellationof domestic elites and foreignpowers came together in 2004 to overthrow him, abort this popular transformation, and install a new authoritarian regime. Lundahl andPodur cover similar historical terrain; they both examineHaiti's recent past from the fall of theDuvalier dictatorship in 1986 to thepresent. They pay special attention to the 2000 Aristide regime, its collapse and its political consequences, and they also concentrate on thedevastating effects of a series of natural disasters culminating in the earthquake of 2010. Moreover, The Political Economy of Disaster and Haiti's New Dictatorship share some basic assumptions. Both contend that the Haitian political elite has predatory instincts and has governed in a thoroughly "extractive" mode; both emphasize the country's dependence on outside financial forces, and both regard the recent election of


Abstract A checklist for the Tenebrionidae (sensu stricto) (Coleoptera) of Borneo with corresponding references is compiled, based on the literature and unpublished records from different collections. Tenebrionidae are considered herein in a historical (typological) sense, excluding the subfamily Alleculinae and those tribes of Lagriinae previously classified in the family Lagriidae. Although the present list contains a total of 999 species from Borneo, it is far from completeness. Distributional patterns within Borneo itself are widely unknown.


We derive analytic expressions for high energy 2{yields}2 off-shell scattering amplitudes of weak vector bosons. They are obtained from six-fermion final states in processes of the type e{sup +}e{sup -}{yields}{nu}{sub e}+(WW)+{nu}{sub e}{yields}{nu}{sub e}+(l{nu})(l{nu})+{nu}{sub e}. As an application we reconsider the unitarity bounds on the Higgs mass. Particular attention is given to the role of the photon exchange which has not been considered in earlier investigations; we find that the photon weakens the bound of the Higgs mass.


In this paper, the classification of two dimension objects under the projective transformation group, interested group in computer vision, is presented. Results between the proposed invariants with previous invariant features are compared to show the performance of the method.


Data deduplication is a common used technology in backup systems and cloud storage to reduce storage costs and network traffic. To preserve data...


The tilt-lift building method introduces an adaptation of the non-tectonic systems
for mass construction of industrial workshops. This fundamentally new building method of
technological relevance for hot arid tropical areas is realized by transplantable factories and has
been designed in such a way as to render it possible-interalia-to build industrial workshops
in any remote area without being bound to definite spans; then, to construct very large size
elements-even with unskilled workers-without requiring transportation; finally, to develop
a building method in which the point precisely is to tilt and lift expressly big volumens-structural elements of 10-40 tons-without requiring any lifting equipment independent from
the structure; etc. The non tectonic systems are based on the recognition that tectonics
is not the only possible axiom of building and the tilt-lift building method gives a further
proof that such an axiomatic change is realizable and that we may open new hitherto unknown
ways of industrialization of building if we break with the axiom of tectonics.


ABSTRACT In this article, the Kriging surrogate model is proposed to accelerate the model-assisted probability of detection (MAPoD) analysis for eddy current nondestructive testing (NDT). The Kriging surrogate model is the key for enabling the efficient MAPoD analysis, considering huge number of uncertainties propagate in the eddy current NDT system, by replacing the time-consuming physical model. To generate the model responses of NDT system, a precise physical model based on the adaptive cross approximation algorithm accelerated boundary element method (BEM) is applied. In the numerical case, the MAPoD study of eddy current for detecting surface flaws in the conducting plate is analyzed. By comparing the PoD metrics achieved by the pure physical model and by the Kriging surrogate model, the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed surrogate model are demonstrated.