Soft underwater robotics have gained attention for scientific study of marine life, replicating natural swimming behaviours, providing a platform for swarm analysis and many other applications. However, current technologies for soft underwater robots show a big trade off between simplicity and functionality. The master thesis presents the design, development and implementation of a novel magnetic actuation technique which is inherently simple, modular and swift. Repulsive and attractive forces between an electromagnet and permanent magnet, which is embedded in a soft structure, are exploited. This causes a deformation of the soft structure. In this case a bend of a silicon cast tail with optimised shape and flexibility. Upon cyclic repetition, an undulating motion is generated actuating the underwater robot. This swimming behaviour is inspired by thunniform propulsion found in nature. All the components were integrated into a mermaid shaped body with full water protection of all electric and mechanical parts. A series of swimming tests confirmed the ability to swim untethered at a velocity of 10.8 cm/s. The established prototype exemplifies the realisation of the novel actuation principle. The new modular and straightforward setup makes it appropriate for education and research with great potential for further optimisation and extension. This new generation of soft robotic actuation has large potential in other applications providing immediate control and direct output in a transmission free setup.


: In Contemporary Philosophy, in which fashion rejection of metaphysics is fashionable, R. G. Collingwood investigates the possibility of returning to Aristotle and reinterpreting metaphysics. In the context of this investigation, metaphysics is the science of absolute presuppositions that form the basis of any scientific and intellectual activity. Absolute presupposition is the paradigm of a period. Absolute presupposition is the logical capability of the accuracy criterion that cannot be questioned. According to Collingwood, absolute presuppositions are historical, and metaphysics that will analyze it must be historical. Now the method of metaphysics as an historical activity embodies the logic of questioning and answering. Metaphysics is a universal science that analyzes absolute presuppositions by the logic questioning and answering. On the other hand, metaphysics 1 has a central role in establishing the interdisciplinary relationship. The metaphysical activity is essential since this relationship will be established between absolute presuppositions of each area.


We are pleased to announce that the annual best paper award for 2016 goes to 'An analysis of US accounting firms' cross-country audit quality of China concepts stocks', by Nan Jia and Dan Li (Tsinghua University), which was published in China Journal of Accounting Studies, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2016, pp. 183–204. In this paper, the authors find that audit quality varies significantly in different cross-country audit modes. Specifically, the audit quality of integration and alliance outsourcing is significantly higher than that of non-alliance outsourcing, while no significant difference has been found between the former two. This indicates that integration and alliance outsourcing are favourable in cross-country auditing in China. However, the audit quality of integration significantly declines as client importance increases. In addition, although non-alliance outsourcing has inferior audit quality, an extension of the length of cooperation can improve its audit quality. This paper details the first empirical research on the cross-country audit mode of China concepts stocks and makes unique contributions to studies on US firms' cross-country audit patterns. The paper was selected by the journal's editorial team considering the following criteria: originality, rigor, relevance and quality of exposition. Our heartiest congratulations to Dr Nan Jia and Dan Li for the award.


The interplay between antiferromagnetic state and low doping regime is studied within the framework of the t-J model. The staggered magnetization is calculated in the mean field approximation by separating spin and charge degrees of freedom. We have obtained that this order parameter decreases with increasing doping and vanishes for some critical hole concentration.


The main object of this paper has been to show that the band shape of optical rotatory dispersion can be quantitatively interpreted by taking into account the radiation damping effect which removes the singularities associated with optical rotatory dispersion and by regarding the dispersion curve of optical rotation to consist of a series of lines that merge into a simple broad band. The strength of each individual line is to a large extent determined by the Franck–Condon factor. To illustrate this approach, an example has been given.


A brief review is given on the current state of experimental and theoretical work in the field of heavy fermion superconductivity. Particular emphasis is placed on those experiments which demonstrate the presence of an unconventional order parameter, as well as the intricate interplay of magnetism and superconductivity in these metals. On the theoretical front, current phenomenological models of the superconductivity are reviewed along with potential pairing mechanisms.


ABSTRACT In this paper, the solution of the matrix Riccati differential equation(MRDE) for nonlinear singular system is obtained using neural networks. The goal is to provide optimal control with reduced calculus effort by comparing the solutions of the MRDE obtained from well known traditional Runge Kutta(RK)method and nontraditional neural network method. Accuracy of the neural solution to the problem is qualitatively better. The advantage of the proposed approach is that, once the network is trained, it allows instantaneous evaluation of solution at any desired number of points spending negligible computing time and memory. The computation time of the proposed method is shorter than the traditional RK method. An illustrative numerical example is presented for the proposed method. Key words: Matrix Riccati differential equation, Nonlinear, Optimal control, Singular system, Runge Kutta method and Neural networks. 1. INTRODUCTION Neural networks or simply neural nets are computing systems, which can be trained to learn a complex relationship between two or many variables or data sets. Having the structures similar to their biological counterparts, neural networks are representational and computational models processing information in a parallel distributed fashion composed of interconnecting simple processing nodes [36]. Neural net techniques have been successfully applied in various fields such as function approximation, signal processing and adaptive (or) learning control for nonlinear systems. Using neural networks, a variety of off-line learning control algorithms have been developed for nonlinear systems [17, 25]. A variety of numerical algorithms have been developed for solving the algebraic Riccati equation. In recent years, neural network problems have attracted considerable attention of many researchers for numerical aspects for algebraic Riccati equations see [13, 14, 37, 3]. Singular systems contain a mixture of algebraic and differential equations. In that sense, the algebraic equations represent the constraints to the solution of the differential part. These systems are also known as degenerate, descriptor or semi-state and generalized state-space systems. The complex nature of singular system causes many difficulties in the analytical and numerical treatment of such systems, particularly when there is a need for their control. The system arises naturally as a linear approximation of system models or linear system models in many applications such as electrical networks, aircraft dynamics, neutral delay systems, chemical, thermal and diffusion processes, large-scale systems, robotics, biology, etc., see [6, 7, 11, 19]. Most of the research on nonlinear singular systems has focused primarily on issues related to solvability and numerical solutions for such systems [5, 9]. The literature on feedback control of nonlinear singular systems is sparse. The feedback stabilization problem for nonlinear singular systems is addressed by McClamroch [22]. In this paper, we make use of a result that generalizes the LQ theory to nonlinear systems to provide a nonlinear design method [4, 21]. This nonlinear quadratic (NLQ) method applies to systems having a broad class of nonlinear dynamics with state dependent weighting matrices. In brief, it turns out that the infinite time horizon LQ regulator problem, when solved afresh at every point on the state trajectory, leads to an asymptotically optimal control policy. The LQ regulator problem converges to the optimal control close to the origin. As the theory of optimal control of linear systems with quadratic performance criteria is well developed, the results are most complete and close to use in many practical designing problems. The theory of the quadratic cost control problem has been treated as a more interesting problem and the optimal feedback with minimum cost control has been characterized by the solution of a Riccati equation. Da Prato and Ichikawa [12] showed that the optimal feedback control and the minimum cost are characterized by the solution of a Riccati equation. Solving the MRDE is the central issue in optimal control theory. The needs for solving such equations often arise in analysis and synthesis such as


This report provides background on the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) agricultural export programs and relevant issues for Congress. U.S. agricultural exports have long been a bright spot in the U.S. balance of trade, with exports exceeding imports in every year since 1960.


Open laboratory of university was an important base of teaching,science research and technical services,also was one of the basic conditions to be a good schools.The opening experiment teaching mode in plant tissue culture laboratory was discussed.Four links such as course introduction,teaching situation,feasibility analysis and teaching mode were explored,which provided better reference for teaching reform of opening experiment teaching.


Beside that the fish species and their sub-populations are highly important as a keystone species in the coastal and marine eco-system, there are very few studies on their presence, distribution and temporal variations within and around the lagoon ecosystems in Albania. This paper provides an updated review on the life cycle, fishery, exploitation state and management of the main species that are subject of commercial fishing in the Karavasta lagoon, southeastern Adriatic coast of Albania. Due to the fact that lagoons represent a continuum between continental and marine aquatic ecosystems they play a crucial role in species life cycles. Further on in the circumstances of rapid utilizations and environmental changes, anomalies in salinity and temperatures, accelerated anthropogenic influences their rate of vulnerability is highly increased. Following the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, transitional water, coastal lagoons and estuaries there is a need for urgent monitoring and management approaches. The commercial species include: European eel ( Anguilla anguilla ), species of Family Mugilidae ( Mugil cephalus , Liza ramada , Liza salienes and Chelon labrosus ), Seabream ( Sparus aurata ), Seabass ( Dincentrarchus labrax ), etc. Fish productivity is oscillating from maximum value of 61.95 kg/ha is recorded in period of 1975–80 and lower value of 31 kg/ha in year 2020. Our study highlights importance of fish and fishery long-term monitoring, and contributes to understand the driving factors in productivity, migration patterns and species ecology in the vital coastal ecosystems.


Weibo content has the characteristic of complex and changeable. And the traditional technology of keyword extraction has the limitation of ignoring the meaning of words. This paper combines different weights of speech to improve the TF-IDF formula and uses deep learning method to train text language model. Transforming the process of Weibo content into vector computation in vector space, the semantic similarity between words can be obtained by calculating the similarity between vectors. Then, the similarity and term frequency features of words in the sliding window are added to Textrank's iterative formula for edge weight optimization. By changing the number of keyword extraction and the size of sliding window, the optimal extraction effect of the algorithm is obtained. The algorithm proposed in this paper can solve the problems of the traditional Textrank algorithm, such as equal probability jumping of keyword extraction and the lack of meaning. It has the advantages of low time complexity and less corpus training.


The US Air Force hyperbaric chambers are used for treatment of the four disorders generally accepted as amenable to recompression or hyperbaric oxygenation. Ninety-four patients suffering from decompression sickness, air embolism, carbon monoxide intoxication, or gas gangrene have been treated. Forty-seven were military patients or their dependents, and 47 were civilians. The USAF series of 23 patients with surgically, bacteriologically proved spreading, diffuse clostridial myonecrosis brings the literature total of proved cases in patients treated with hyperbaric oxygenation during the past 11 years to 267. Recognized and treated early with a combined hyperbaric oxygen-debridement-antibiotic and supportive program, survival rates of those with gas gangrene should improve significantly.


The main propagation effect on interference between a satellite system and an adjacent terrestrial path is considered to be the differential rain attenuation. In the present paper, a predictive method for the differential rain attenuation statistics is presented based on a convective raincell model and the assumption that the point rainfall statistics follows a gamma form. This is valid for various climatic zones of the world, such as J, M, N, P, Q zones. The results of the predictive procedure are compared with the only available set of experimental data taken from Yokosuka, Japan. The sensitivity of various parameters affecting the differential attenuation statistics is also examined.


This paper explores the role of adjustment lags and labor market policies in the generation and perpetuation of high unemployment in Spain. A simple three equation model of the labor market (a labor force equation, an employment equation, and a wage-setting equation) is estimated using error correction techniques, allowing for lagged terms so as to capture dynamic adjustment effects. The results suggest that the Spanish labor market adjusts very slowly -it takes at least 6-8 years for unemployment to adjust to 90 percent of its new equilibrium level after an exogenous shock. The introduction of several policy-related variables into the model demonstrated a number of statistically significant effects of labor market policies on unemployment: I) higher social contributions and rising severance pay settlements significantly reduce employment;· 2) increases in minimum wages and unemployment benefits push up real wages, while increased use of temporary contracts reduce them; 3) unemployment benefits also contribute to unemployment by encouraging higher labor force participation, while increased disability benefits reduce it; and 4) Labor conflictiveness (strikes) and greater collective bargaining reduce employment. LABOR MARKET POLICIES AND UNEMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS IN SPAIN Jeffrey R. Franks No country in Europe has as great an unemployment problem as Spain. From less than 5 percent in the mid-1970s, the unemployment rate has peaked at more than 20 percent in each of the last two economic slowdowns, without dropping below 15 percent in times of strong growth. From an analytical standpoint, the Spanish case is a fascinating, extreme example of the pan-European unemployment problem . From the policy perspective , it is essential to understand and attack labor market problems successfully in Spain if the unemployment crisis of the European Union (EU) is to be tackled, especially since the number of jobless in Spain in 1995 was higher than in the much larger EU countries of France, Italy , and the United Kingdom, and nearly as high as in Germany. Broadly speaking , two competing schools of thought have existed in analyses of European unemployment over the last twenty years . One approach is to focus primarily on cyclical factors in generating unemployment, the implication being that macroeconomic shocks have caused unemployment to deviate from a (low) "natural" or nonaccelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU)(I) . Studies in this vein look to a series of adverse macroeconomic shocks to explain the high and persistent unemployment rates in Europe since the 1970s. The oil crises of the 1970s and the recession of the early 1990s are seen as triggers for increased European unemployment, exacerbated by high real interest rates that reduced investment(2). At the other extreme is the hysteresis theory invoked by Blanchard and Summers (1986) and others , which argues that most of the unemployment increase is due to an increase in the NAIRU rather than in deviations therefrom . Indeed, in its most extreme form, Note : The author wishes to thank Brian Henry for helpful comments throughout the development of the paper. Discussions with the other participants in the unemployment project ( C . Cristofides, K . Habermeier, P . Mauro , R . Ramaswamy , and T. van der Willigen) were also of great help . L. Monasi provided research assistance on the data and M . Karanassou assisted with the policy simulations . All errors are my own. (l1Friedman (1968) coined the term "natural rate of unemployment , " which was subsequently used extensively i n the so-called New Classical Economics school of thought . (2)Bianchi and Zoega (1994 ) .


Objective: to find out leading factors of state, readiness and statokinetic stability of highly qualified weightlifters. Study concerning weightlifters (men qualified as masters of sports, aged 21.44 ± 0.50 years) was conducted at special preparatory stage. We studied body composition (body composition analyzer «Tanita», Japan), spinal column state (diagnostic suite«3D Scanner», Russia), stabilometrical values (diagnostic complex «MBN Stabilo», Russia). Body composition analysis shows that fat tissue is distributed unequally: upper extremities contain about 15 %, lower extremities and body contain about 18 % of all fat tissue. Locomotor system state indicates specific postural balance that is determined by declination of general center of pressure forward and leftward, vertical deviation of spinal column in frontal plane as well as in sagittal plane. Integrative activity of weightlifter body consists of adaptation universality, achieved specific regulation of stability of functions, organs, systems and the whole organism up to periods of socially significant contests. Static loading due to tonic and tectonic muscle contraction, microtrauma in ankle and knee joints, is predictor of ascending disorders of locomotor system and development of compensatory postural balance in highly qualified weightlifters.


Introduction : Diabetes among tuberculosis patients is a growing concern. The prevalence of diabetes among tuberculosis patients in Nepal is not known. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of diabetes among tuberculosis patients and to identify the associated risk factors. Methodology : A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Kathmandu valley of Nepal. Face to face interviews using structured questionnaire were conducted to collect socio-demographic and behavioral risk factors. A random blood sugar test was carried out using glucometer. Measurements on height, weight and waist circumference were taken to obtain the anthropometric information. Results : Out of 407 tuberculosis patients recruited in the study, 37 (9.1%) were found to have diabetes. Among them 28 (6.9%) were self reported cases of diabetes while 9 (2.2%) were found with random blood sugar level >200mg/dl. Tuberculosis patients aged 50 years and above (OR 7.5; 95% CI 2.72-20.66), ever tobacco users (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.19-10.74), high income status (OR 5.2; 95% CI 1.59-17.26) and self history of high blood pressure (OR 20.0; 95% CI 5.07-79.50) were found significantly associated with diabetes. Conclusion : Overall, the prevalence of diabetes among tuberculosis patients was 9.1%. Older age, tobacco use, high income status and history of high blood pressure were identified as associated risk factors. SAARC J TUBER LUNG DIS HIV/AIDS, 2015 XII (2), Page: 20-27


According to the results of joint ionosonde studies of variations in the ionospheric F2 layer critical frequency over Kharkiv and Tromsø during low solar activity for fall equinox on September 22 – 24, 2020, the features of foF2 variations in middle and low latitudes were investigated for magnetically quiet and magnetically disturbed conditions. On the magnetically quiet day of September 22, 2020, the foF2 values over Kharkiv were found to exceed the foF2 values over Tromsø for the entire time interval of joint observations 02:45 - 16:45 UT. Both over Tromsø and over Kharkiv, a rapid increase in foF2 to its local maximum value was observed after the sunrise. Quasi-periodic variations in foF2 were revealed at high latitudes, which had lower amplitude compared to variations in foF2 over Kharkiv. Over both measuring sites, a pre-sunset local maximum in foF2 was observed. During magnetically disturbed conditions over Tromsø and Kharkiv, quasi-periodic fluctuations in foF2 were observed after the sunrise. Oscillations over Tromsø had lower amplitude than over Kharkiv, and were almost completely suppressed after the onset of a strong magnetic disturbance at high latitudes on September 23, 2020. The foF2 values over Tromsø exceeded its values over Kharkiv in a time interval of 10:45 – 12:15 UT. Comparison of the time variation of foF2 over Tromso on a magnetically quiet day, September 22, 2020, and on a magnetically disturbed day, September 23, 2020, showed that the foF2 value for September 23, 2020 from 10:15 to 15:00 UT exceeded the foF2 values for the same period on September 22, 2020. Comparison of the temporal variations in foF2 over Kharkiv on a magnetically quiet day, September 22, 2020, and on a magnetically disturbed day, September 24, 2020, showed that the foF2 value for September 24, 2020 exceeded its value for September 22, 2020 from 03:00 to 04:45 UT and from 07:00 to 13:00 UT. Magnetic disturbances were found to cause a rapid increase in foF2 values both over Kharkiv and Tromsø, which exceeded foF2 values under magnetically quiet conditions, and also led to a significant increase in the relative amplitudes of traveling ionospheric disturbances over Kharkiv.


This study examines the effectiveness of online learning platforms (Zoom and Moodle) and their effect on the academic performance of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, students studying practical-related courses during COVID-19. This study specifically seeks to determine students' attitudes towards online learning platforms, investigate the effectiveness of these platforms on practical-related courses as well as ascertain the effect of Zoom and Moodle platforms on the students' academic performance during the Pandemic. Data were gathered through a survey of 380 CU students through the purposive sampling technique to pick students offering practical related courses. Results show that due to the effectiveness of the platforms (Zoom and Moodle) and the positive communication between lecturers and students via these platforms, students would like to see online learning continually adopted after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings further show that students had no difficulties using these platforms. Due to the sheer adaptability of the online learning platforms used during the pandemic, the usage of Zoom and Moodle had a favorable impact on student's academic achievement in practical-related courses. The study concludes that distance learning is a future direction in teaching practical-related courses because of the flexible nature of the platforms. Thus, universities in this part of the world should invest more in online education platforms to maintain academic continuity, especially during times of emergency.


Coal is important primary energy,but now the world is commonly facing a difficult problem of technology and environment which results from coal combustion.Coal combustion mechanism,forming,moving,draining off and controling regulation of pollution material,new type coal combustion and cheap pollution control technology are important research contents in coal combustion field.this paper introduces it's status and progress,and puts forward a few proposals which combine with the local condition.


This research applies Object Oriented Database (OODB) to relate and link building drawings and texts for the purpose of creating a PDA-based systemetic integration of construction-related design data. This system tries to solve the problems of data segmentation, inexpedient interrogation, and consistency in working drawing information management. Recently development of PDA has accelerated and functionally diversified. Under the speed of development, supervisions of construction projects can be conducted by PDA as a kind of tool as a primary information supplier or manager.


DOI: 10.2514/1.22091 Resultsfrom15statictest firingsoflabscalehybridrocketmotorsusing90%concentratedunstabilizedhydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer with hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene fuel are presented. Thirteen of those tests used aluminum or aluminum/magnesium alloy additive in the fuel. The performance characteristics of the propellant combinations were determined. The experimental results indicated combustion efficiencies of 0.72–0.89 and regression rates of 0:5–1:3 mm=s for the metallized fuel combinations. A correlation of the regression rate data for the metallized propellants deviated from that which was derived for turbulent convective heat transfer dominated behavior. A numerical model of the hydrogen peroxide/nonmetallized hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene motor wasbuilt using a commercial computational fluid dynamics code. The model was combined with an in-house code to predict the regression rate of the propellant combination, and the flowfield characteristics at the initial operating conditionsfortwooftheexperimentaltests.Theresultsofthemodelindicatedthattheproposednumericalmodelisa promisingtoolformappingthetemporalandspatialvariationoftheregressionrateinhybridmotorsoperatingwith homogeneous hydrocarbon fuels.


This paper describes the involvement of the private sector in the management of the UK's road network. Consultants are being used increasingly to manage the maintenance of some strategic roads. Selection is on quality and competitively priced bids. The key gain is that the private sector has a major incentive to bring the road to a high standard of maintenance, resulting in better quality roads and long term maintenance savings. DBFO (Design, build, finance and operate) is being extended to roads which do not lend themselves to conventional tolling. The concept is to encourage the private sector to optimise the construction and maintenance regime by sharing risks and investing private finance. There is a strong incentive to minimise disruption to motorists as there are penalties for lane closures. The operator maintains the road to specified standards for a thirty year period and must hand over the road network with at least ten years of design life remaining.


Substituting the traditional additive SbCl3 with SnCl2·H2O,ZnO varistor was prepared by precipitation method and the electrical properties were analyzed.With the increase of SnO2 content,the leakage current and the breakdown voltage increase obviously.But the nonlinear coefficient increases to a maximum when the content of SnO2 is 3.0 mol%.After proper doping of SnO2,the ZnO varistor exhibits excellent electrical characteristics.The leakage current is 0.08 μA,the nonlinear coefficient is 80.3,and the breakdown voltage is 1006.7 V1mA/mmA.


Among mobile computing applications, location-based services are expected to be a big business for wireless operators. These services provide value added by considering the location of the user in order to give him/her more customized information. However, the processing of continuous location-dependent queries is still a subject of research. One of the key issues is how to update the answer presented to the user efficiently as it becomes obsolete very quickly. The goal of this paper is to analyze how to deal with situations where the answer cannot be updated with the desired frequency. We present several approaches to this problem and evaluate their performance.


People in the developed world require comfortable indoor climatic conditions. In the summer time there is often risk of the overheating of buildings, especially buildings with lightweight envelope. Requirements for interior temperature are not summarized in one piece of legislation, but parameters of indoor environment are set according to the type of using of internal space by various laws, regulations, standards and other regulations. Passive cooling can maintain a state of indoor environment in the required temperature range in accordance with legislative framework. Presented system uses phase change materials as a latent heat storage medium for better absorption of heat. The tested system combines the latent heat storage material in the form of micro pellets, which are dispersed in the gypsum plaster, and capillary cooling for their activation so that the secondary effect is possibility of a direct radiant cooling of the room.


Alcohol policies and alcohol issues will become more important as the EU opens up to countries in the central and eastern Europe : Health determinants in the EU


Abstract:For realizing the effective flotation of refractory copper ox-idized ores and developing the activation-flotation theory ,the influencesof nine different organic chelating agents on xanthate collection power andits adsorption characteristies were studied in the flotation of malachite andchrysocolla representatively selected by means of XPS, IR, absorbed quanti-ty measurements and flotation tests.For easily-dissolved malachite fiotation, a small amount of chelatingagent can obviously enhance xanthate collecting power and,make malachitefloated easily, and so reduces the consumption of xanthate. For hard-dis-solved chrysocolla ,chelating agent is able to increase its recovery to 90%,but the chelating agent consumption is high. Chelating agent and xanthatecan produce synergistic adsorptions, which follow Freundlich's adsorptionequation on malachite and Chrysocolla surfaces. The high chemical activityof chelating agent and its synergistic activation on xanthate are the key toimproving xanthate colle


Not only does Erectile Dysfunction (ED) affect millions of men worldwide, but their millions of partners as well. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the proliferation of research centred on Viagra [Sildenafil Citrate], might also look at the impact it has made on individual lives and on interpersonal relationships. However, the social and psychological aspects of treatment are clearly absent from the majority of research in this area.


Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a sub‐epidermal autoimmune blistering disease associated with autoantibodies to the dermal–epidermal junction (DEJ). Patients' autoantibodies induce dermal–epidermal separation when co‐incubated with cryosections of human skin and leucocytes from healthy volunteers. IgG autoantibodies trigger complement and/or leucocyte activation resulting in specific pathology in several autoimmune conditions. In these diseases, IgG1 and IgG3 isotypes, but not the IgG4 subclass, are thought to trigger inflammatory pathways resulting in tissue damage. The capacity of IgG4 autoantibodies to mediate tissue damage has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we isolated IgG1 and IgG4 autoantibodies from bullous pemhigoid patients'serum and analysed their blister‐inducing potential in our cryosection assay. As expected, complement‐fixing IgG1 autoantibodies induced sub‐epidermal splits in this experimental model. Purified IgG4 did not fix complement, but, interestingly, like IgG1, activated leucocytes and induced dermal–epidermal separation. The potential of IgG4 autoantibodies to induce Fc‐dependent dermal–epidermal separation was significantly lower compared to IgG1. Our results demonstrate that IgG4 autoantibodies are able to activate leucocytes and point to a hitherto less recognized function of IgG4. Moreover, for the first time, we clearly demonstrate that BP IgG4 autoantibodies have the capacity to induce leucocyte‐dependent tissue damage.


Detailed rock magnetism investigation of the Jiaxian red clay sequences indicated that there are common magnetic mineralogy properties in red clay and loess-paleosol sequences from the Chinese Loess Plateau as well as the marked properties of themselves, magnetic minerals mainly with magnetite, maghemite, hematite, and possibly limonite/goethite contributing to the magnetic behavior. Meanwhile, it is found that the strong paleosol in red clay sequences has a lower coercivity and higher content of ultra-fine ferrimagnetic grains than that of the weak paleosol, which is similar to loess and paleosol in upper Wucheng Loess sequences, and indicates that humid conditions and relatively strong pedogenesis play a significant role in the increase of ultra-fine magnetic minerals and transformation of the magnetic minerals. This suggests that, like Quaternary loess-paleosols, the change of characteristics of paleoclimatic conditions of the late Tertiary red clay deposits is fluctuant. In addition, the results of magnetic hysteresis properties show that the applied saturated field for samples from the Jiaxian red clay sequences is higher than that of the samples from eastern and southern Chinese Loess Plateau. It is obviously shown that there exist more hard magnetic minerals and relatively weak biochemical processes in the Jiaxian red clay sequences on northern Chinese Loess Plateau. We conclude that the paleoclimatic environment is different between northern and eastern/southern Chinese Loess Plateau, and it should be more arid in northern Chinese Loess Plateau.


The invention provides a terminal pin-inserting device. The terminal pin-inserting device includes a cutting mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a rotating feeding mechanism, a pin-inserting mechanism and a cam driving mechanism, wherein the cutting mechanism, the clamping mechanism, the rotating feeding mechanism and the pin-inserting mechanism are connected through the cam driving mechanism, and the cam driving mechanism drives these mechanisms and makes the same accomplish actions such as terminal cutting, terminal clamping, rotating feeding and terminal pin insertion sequentially. The terminal pin-inserting device of the invention can accomplish the actions such as the terminal cutting, the terminal clamping, the rotating feeding and the terminal pin insertion in an integrated manner. The terminal pin-inserting device is advantageous in high machining precision, fast speed and high production efficiency.


In this paper, we present an analytic approach to evaluate the reactivity of client-server networked automation systems (NASs). Both deterministic and probabilistic analyses are provided while modeling the NAS using Timed Event Graphs (TEG). Since many results with regard to the deterministic approach have already been published, we recall only its main steps that prove useful, while exposing the probabilistic method. Thereby, we provide the density of probability distribution of the response time (or reactivity) using the probability densities of the local delays, experienced at the different stages of the NAS. Furthermore, a case study is presented to compare the results of the study to measures taken from a real platform.


Testing of dependable event-based systems is very important to ensure that all requirements (including nonfunctional requirements such as reliability, availability, safety and security) are met, and the relevant standards are observed. In this paper we provide an overview of the state of the practice in testing dependable event-based systems and identify the challenges that have to be addressed in the future. We illustrate our findings by a case study for a transportation system. The most important topics for research and improvement are: (1) formal modeling techniques for domain experts, (2) smart monkey testing techniques for reliability testing (3) mutation analysis to reveal the defect-detection potential of test suites, and a (4) recommending tool for the selection of test-case design


Treatment of wastewater by adsorption is one of the most environmentally friendly methods, along with high efficiency. The main criteria when choosing materials for wastewater treatment by adsorption are its adsorption properties, porous structure and cost-effectiveness. Heavy metal ions are the main pollutants present in wastewater from machine-building, non-ferrous metallurgy and instrument-making enterprises, its removal being mandatory employing processes such as adsorption. This work deals with the development of materials based on natural clays and on pillared clays and further application in the the adsorption of Ni (II), used as model pollutant, from aqueous solution. The starting natural clay (montmorillonite) was obtained in a deposit of Kazakhstan (Asa), and two additional samples were prepared by treatment of the natural clay with acid and by pillarization with Fe2+ and Zn2+. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to explore the effect of pH, adsorbent load, contact time and the initial ion concentrations of Ni (II) in the adsorption of the heavy metal from aqueous solution with the three adsorbent samples. A maximum removal of Ni (II) of 98.9% was achieved at pH 10 with a dose of adsorbent of 2 g/L, a contact time of 120 min and an initial concentration of metal ions of 50 mg/L, when considering the Asa natural clay.


A process for performance analysis of KSR-Ⅲ (Korea Sounding Rocket Ⅲ) is described in this paper. Nominal performance and dispersion analyses are conducted to find nominal trajectory and dispersion area. Preflight performance analysis is conducted just before the flight test to determine launch pad azimuth and elevation angles and to correct the impact point change resulting from wind profile difference. Postflight analysis is conducted to match the simulation result with the flight test result using least-square estimation of the thrust and drag coefficient error. Analysis result shows that the performance of KSR-Ⅲ was successful within predicted dispersion boundary, and difference between preflight analysis and flight test result can be effectively eliminated using postflight analysis.


The discovery of a new class of magnetic stars, the rapidly pulsating Ap stars, provides an unprecedented tool for the study of Alfvenic heating in the outer atmospheres of main sequence stars. In this note, it is noted that detection of rotationally-modulated chromospheric emission line fluxes, especially the Ca II, Mg II, and C IV lines, can provide a novel method for investigating the role of Alfvenic heating in stellar atmospheres.


Identify the number of allowable missing values still permitting valid surrogate score calculation for the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS).


The theme of ecology and of the sustainability of life on the planet is not merely a theological fad. Every day it is being revealed as ever more crucial for the destiny of humanity. That is why it is necessary to confront it with modesty and effectiveness. In this article the author calls attention to the missionary dimension implicated in the theme of ecology and the sustainability of life and how, based on a posture of faith, it is necessary to develop a courageous spirituality, which is at the same time humble. It is about assuming a spirituality that sustains the communities of faith on a journey that is not proclaimed easy or non-controversial. Such a spirituality drinks from the fountain of the Gospel of the grace of God present in Jesus Christ. Simultaneously, it is open to dialog with other expressions of the sacredness of existence, such as the religiosity of the indigenous and afro descendant peoples. For the author, only a spirituality of liberation answers to these challenges.


The wireless sensor network (WSN) was primarily developed as a military application to survey a battlefield. However, now a WSN is commonly used in many other industrial and commercial applications to monitor environmental conditions, health care applications and traffic controls. There are many different kinds of wireless sensor networks, however; they all normally come equipped with a radio transceiver or a wireless communication device or a power source. In this paper, we describe several MAC protocols proposed for sensor networks emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses.


Given an elliptic quartic of type $Y^2=f(X)$ representing an elliptic curve of positive rank over $\Q$, we investigate the question of when the $Y$-coordinate can be represented by a quadratic form of type $ap^2+bq^2$. In particular, we give examples of equations of surfaces of type $c_0+c_1x+c_2x^2+c_3x^3+c_4x^4=(ap^2+bq^2)^2$, $a,b,c \in \Q$ where we can deduce the existence of infinitely many rational points. We also investigate surfaces of type $Y^2=f(a p^2+b q^2)$ where the polynomial $f$ is of degree $3$.


Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the foundation for advancing the nation's economy. According to the mapping of MSMEs actors in Indonesia, 64.5% of total MSMEs were micro-scaled enterprises managed by women. Expanding women's businesses positively impacts economic recovery; therefore, women's empowerment must be appropriately implemented. This study aimed to obtain empirical data regarding women's empowerment in the fashion sector of MSMEs in Bandung. This research used a quantitative non-experimental approach with convenience sampling and was conducted with 115 women entrepreneurs of MSMEs in the online and offline fashion sector in Bandung. The research results show that women entrepreneurs of MSMEs with good women's empowerment can help themselves improve their performance in entrepreneurship to create progress for women's MSMEs. Education is a very important factor for women to be more empowered. An annual omzet on a Microscale allows women to be empowered and direct themselves better because they feel more competent with the risks of small-scale businesses. Women entrepreneurs must retain and expand their women's empowerment to realise their inner potential to enhance the performance and business they are now conducting.


This exploratory article considers the diversity-performance nexus among elite American law firms. I present a taxonomy of existing theories – the neoclassical economic theory of discrimination, the "new markets" hypothesis, and the organizational efficiency/managerial theory of diversity – that explain this nexus with greater or lesser success. I argue that these theories do not seem fully to explain certain institutional and behavioral realities among elite American law firms with respect to workplace diversity. The article thus supplements the existing theories with a (deliberately) parsimonious social norms (signaling) model of diversity that (at least at first blush) seems more consistent with some of the observed institutional and behavioral regularities among these firms. However, the social norms model that I describe is deficient in that it treats diversity as an exogenous norm. I therefore propose to embark upon future research involving a deeper exploration of the question whether (and why) elite American law


© 1994 by MARCEL DEKKER. All Rights Reserved. This chapter discusses procedures for the creation of shape and form from assemblies of ceramic particles by injection molding. However, the issues raised are not confined to injection molding. All procedures that have in common the plastic forming of a ceramic suspension in an organic phase and the subsequent removal of the organic fraction prior to sintering are 310open for exploration. These include injection molding [1,2] extrusion [3], postextrusion forming [4,5], blow molding [6,7], vacuum forming [8], solvent casting (tape casting) [9], and joining before firing [10-13]. Doubtless many others await investigation. In these processes, ceramic particles are brought into their prefiring positions in an organic vehicle that fills the pore space and is present in slight excess to allow particle rotation and displacement in shear or extensional flow. The organic matter is then removed by solvent extraction, capillary flow, or pyrolysis in oxidizing or inert atmosphere, and the ceramic particle assembly is sintered.


Rutherford scattering of neutral particles by plasma ions is examined as a method for determining plasma ion in the central cell fo the Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX). When a scattering configuration, consisting of a 20-keV-, 10-A-deuterium neutral beam and an energy analyzer with a 1% resolution, is arranged such that only neutral particles scattered by plasma ions over an angle of 10/sup 0/ are accepted, central-cell ion temperatures in the 30- to 1000-eV range can be measured. The count rate registered by the detector(s) is estimated to be 2000 counts/ms. Consequently, good statistical accuracy and time resolution are attainable simultaneously. The results of the calculation are presented such that the scaling of the count rates and the energy broadening with scattering angle, neutral-beam energy, ion temperature, and plasma density can easily be deduced. Neutral helium beams are also considered; they have some advantages over deuterium beams. The background signal, caused by neutral particles entering the detector after two successive charge-exchange collisions, is examined and ways to completely eliminate this background are indicated.


The degree of adult-plant resistance conferred by the gene Lr37 in RL6081 (Thatcher*8/Lr37) to four avirulent leaf rust pathotypes was quantified by assessing histological components as well as latent period, uredinium density and uredinium size. Histological observations on the adaxial flag leaf surfaces revealed significant arrest of fungal structures in RL6081 at early infection stages. Furthermore, host cell necrosis typical of a posthaustorial host-resistance mechanism was conspicuous in sizeably reduced colonies on this genotype. Lr37 significantly decreased the rate of uredinial appearance of all four pathotypes. Compared with Thatcher, fewer uredinia of smaller dimensions developed on flag leaves of RL6081. Characterization of resistance indicated that disease development in genotypes with the gene Lr37 should be extremely limited.


For any engine to work properly with minimum maintenance, its assembly quality plays important role. This is accomplished by introducing industrial automation techniques in complex assembly operations of engines. ARM based data acquisition system presented here is an intelligent unit based on embedded technology for data acquisition, monitoring & output control. The system is used with DC Nutrunner (an assembly tool for fastening the bolts) to control the assembly process torque value by giving the value as OK or NOK. Compared with conventional solutions to control and data acquisition, the device based on embedded system gives more features with flexibility and ease of installation in low cost. Ethernet module interfaced with ARM is used to achieve networked control and acquisitions through TCP/IP communication protocol in an industry.


IPR System originates from the need of legalization about interest allocation of the innovating intellectual product during the rise of modern capitalism.Its formation has something to do with the social foundation about rule of law such as market economic system,constitutionalism country and rationalism culture.During constructing the innovating country,contemporary China should treat seriously the social adaptability of IPR system,not only chose the suitable IPR policy base on its social foundation,but also improve the social foundation in order to meet the needs of IPR system in action.Thus we should understand correctly the attribute of private rights,the regulation of public law,and the strength of protection about IPR in practice.


This article asks what happens to the learning of young children when they work regularly with a professional visual artist in their school. Through Creative Partnerships, a national programme initiated in 2002 to bring creative professionals into schools across England, some school children have had the opportunity for sustained project work with artists. Examined here is the context in which children (ages 4, 5, 6 and 7) worked one day a week during the academic year of 2003–2004 with Roy Smith, resident artist in Hythe Community School. Key to the children's drawing, painting and talking was close focused attention on details of three-dimensional objects, portraits, still-life works and their own creations. Smith's conversations with the children routinely included three and four-syllable technical terms, biographical details of artists' lives and comparative critiques. Within several months, the art of the children reflected understanding of concepts such as foregrounding, and they showed confidence in working with problems Smith set up for them ("What do you think would happen if …?"). Particularly important here is the combination of manual and linguistic work that demands attention to detail, receptive understanding of complex terms and processes, and familiarity with the analytical and sequential thinking needed to identify and solve problems.


RANSAC has become an essential tool for the robust estimation of inter-image geometries using point correspondences. Due to its randomized nature, RANSAC becomes inefficient for large numbers of incorrect matches. This paper presents four methods for utilizing prior geometric information when estimating the homography which register a pair of near-nadir aerial images. In this case the initial geometric estimate is derived using strict assumptions about the camera and scene geometry and photometric information present in each image, however, the techniques described could be applied to other sources of pose prior information. The algorithms described allow for the successful estimation of the inter-image homography in a severely constrained number of iterations, even in the presence of low numbers of inliers.


FIELD: electricity. SUBSTANCE: invention can be used in exhibition systems for advertisement producers, and can be used to make personal information cards, badges, shields etc. The personal identification apparatus includes an identification element and means of attracting the attention of observers. The identification element contains personal information and is illuminated by a multi-layer light pane. The light panel consists of a layer of a polymer substrate, a layer of current-conducting optically transparent material which is a first electrode, an emitting layer which converts electrical energy to light, a protective layer, a current-conducting layer made from opaque material which is a second electrode, a sealing layer, as well as electric power sources and means of communicating with said sources. EFFECT: invention increases efficiency of the process of personal identification and activation of specific perception of an object. 3 cl, 5 dwg, 2 ex


The present invention relates to a water-absorbing polymer particles have a high swelling ratio and high permeability produced, the process is carried out: an aqueous polymerizable monomer solution or the monomer to form an aqueous suspension of polymer gel, wherein the base a blowing agent containing no inorganic acid anion polymer gel is mixed, and then heat drying the polymer gel.


The present invention provides a Portable information terminal provided with a method for recommending application software and/or a method for controlling screen display capable of granting ideal ease of use to a user. A screen for executing application software recommended by the portable information terminal and an icon correlated with application software arbitrarily selected by the user of the portable information terminal are displayed at the same time in separate areas on the same screen. An icon correlated with the application software recommended by the portable information terminal and the icon correlated with the application software arbitrarily selected by the user of the portable information terminal are displayed at the same time in separate areas on the same screen.


Most national governments and scholars advocate planning and developing compact cities to improve the environment of the urban transport system. Cities with higher population density are more environmentally friendly because the average commuting distance decreased,given the inter- and intra-urban population distributions. However,the result can be doubted when one considers that higher population density may change the spatial configuration of economic activities. An increasing-density policy also affects prices,wages and land rents,which in turn give firms and labor incentives to relocate. This reshaping process of the urban system may generate more transport pollution. Therefore,a compactness urban policy may not be environmentally friendly when the general equilibrium effects generated by such a policy are considered in the regional perspective.


The automatic, magneto-optic ellipsometer reported previously (1) has been given spectral scanning capabilities in the visible-uv, and has been interfaced to an LSI-11/2 for data acquisition. FORTRAN software is documented for the acquisition of both fixed-wavelength and spectroscopic data from an automatic, self-nulling ellipsometer by an LSI-11 microcomputer. This ellipsometer has resulted from the addition of spectral scanning capabilities over the visible-uv to a previously reported (1) automatic, magneto-optic instrument. Additional programs are presented to aid in the interpretation of the acquired ellipsometry data. Software is categorized as being for either (a) fixed-wavelength data collection; (b) spectroscopic data collection, reduction, and simulation; (c) graphics; or (d) modeling and optimization. The most basic ellipsometry equations have also been programmed for a Texas Instruments 59 calculator, and are presented because of their proven usefulness, convenience, and popularity.


This thesis collects and contextualizes several projects involving artistically directed prototyping where new artifacts have been developed, in multi-disciplinary groups of practitioners, for use ...


Machine translation is conventionally based on processing isolated textual sentences, disregarding the broader context around them, as well as any cues that are not explicit in text. This formulation is unable to reliably determine referential discourse phenomena such as anaphora and connectives, which creates a barrier to the production of cohesive and coherent language. While exploiting the audio and visual modalities provide a window into the context, machine translation must also venture beyond the sentence, and become aware of the discourse in the entire document. There has been a surge of research in discourse-aware machine translation in the last two decades, primarily focusing on the design and evaluation of document-level machine translation systems, and expanding the textual context in machine translation architectures without compromising computational efficiency. Following the recent advances, we have likewise put substantial effort into the development of discourse-aware machine translation systems, albeit to no considerable improvement. In this deliverable, we start by breaking down the most salient phenomena to explain their relevance, and presenting a brief survey of successful approaches to discourse-aware machine translation, followed by descriptions of the models we have developed within the WP4 of the MeMAD project. We dedicate the rest of the report to our analysis of user evaluation data collected in an experiment where professional translators tested post-editing of machine translation for subtitling. Finally, we conclude our report with discussions of future directions in utilising dedicated subtitle translation systems, speaker and dialogue information, and end-to-end speech translation models in the last year of the project. 2 MeMAD – Methods for Managing Audiovisual Data


In order to elucidate the role of ehtylene in gravitropism, detailed time courses for ethylene production in horizontal and upright plants were measured. Tomato and pea were chosen as examples of plants which exhibit different patterns of gravitropic curvature. Tomato seedlings were placed in gas-tight lucite boxes from which air was sampled and analyzed for ethylene. During the first 2 min interval after one set of plants was turned horizontal ethylene production was double the baseline. Similarly, plants rotated 3 rpm about a vertical axis transiently doubled ethylene production when the axis was shifted 90 deg. In order to clarify the role of this 2-min burst, the effect of exogenous ethylene was studied. In peas, epicotyls were excised, equilibrated until wound ethylene had subsided to a low stable level, and ethylene production was measured in vertical and horizontal segments. As for tomatoes, excised pea epicotyls increased their rate of ethylene production during the first 2 min of gravistimulation. Also, very low concentrations of exogenous ethylene slightly enhance curvature. On the other hand, higher levels of ethylene and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) inhibit overall curvature.


The objective of this study was to discover consumer perceptions about the use of wood in furniture and also to determine whether wood is perceived to have some superior attributes compared to other furniture materials. The data for the study consisted of the responses to a questionnaire completed by 115 shoppers at a major furniture retail chain in Finland. Factor analysis produced five underlying concepts pertaining to wood: trendy, reliable, environmentally friendly, high-value, and archaic. According to 84 percent of all respondents, wood exhibits several superior attributes compared to other raw materials used in furniture making. Twenty-seven attributes were selected and nine categories of response were identified by regrouping and combining the responses. The four most often mentioned attributes were reliable, environmentally friendly, good-looking, and valued. The perception by customers of wood as a furniture-making material is dominated by consumer concerns about safety and the environment. These two elements, along with a consumer perception that wood is good-looking and is trendy, provide a combination of attributes that is difficult for substitutes to achieve.


Based on the panel data of 1992~2008,this paper applies the gravity model to analyses the bilateral agricultural products trade between China and Australia.The outcome shows that both China's and Australia's demand for agricultural products,competitiveness of agricultural products and China's WTO membership have positive impact on bilateral agricultural products trade while both China's and Australia's import tariff and the outbreak of SARS in 2003 have negative impact.Based on it,the authors put forward some suggestions to improve China's agricultural products export to Australia.


The jelly from achenes of Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang (FPAA) is a famous beverage ingredient in Taiwan. In this work, ficumarin (1), a new compound was obtained from its twigs (FPAT) and elucidated with comprehensive spectroscopic data. The biosynthetic origin was proposed from the p-coumaroyl-CoA pathway. Alloxanthoxyletin, betulinic acid, and catechin were identified as the major and active constituents responsible for relieving neutrophilic inflammation by FPAT. Among them, the most potent alloxanthoxyletin was found to interact with PRO350 and GLU377 of human INOSOX. Further, Nrf2 activating capacity of the FPAT fraction and its coumarins was confirmed. With the analysis of LC-MS/MS data and feature-based molecular networking, coumarins were found as the dominant and responsible components. Notably, alloxanthoxyletin increased Nrf2 expression by up to 816.8 ± 58% due to the interacting with the VAL561, THR560 and VAL420 residues of 5FNQ protein. COVID-19 Docking Server simulation indicated that pyranocoumarins would promisingly interfere with the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2. FPAT was proven to exert anti-inflammatory activity on neutrophils and to activate Nrf2, and may likely be developed as a complementary supplement in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.


The present investigation "Radiophonic language analysis on the World Radio morning news and the perception of messages in the riobambenos, July-December 2018", It has been made with the purpose to know the characteristics of space.
Start with problem analysis and the definition of the general objective and the specific ones, to continue with the development of the theoretical framework, emphasizing in the radiophonic language, elements of the radiophonic language characteristics of the radiophonic language, message perception in where we make reference to related topics
with the dependent and independent variables, thus defining the terms, discussion of results and variables.
They were used the following methods: scientific and descriptive, thus as also three types of research: descriptive, field and bibliographic documentary, for identify the stages involved in obtaining a valid knowledge for the investigation, with existing data
it was possible to carry out surveys to know the participation of the audience with the radio.
Among the elements that developed was the application of a survey directed to urban and rural Riobamba, and interviews to specialists in the thematic of radiophonic language.
This radiophonic analysis will allow us know the true interest behind the listener after the broadcast of the World Radio morning news. Once the study is done two conclusions and two recommendations are proposed. It is proposed the realization of a style manual for the World Radio morning news.


Recently, Zhao and Liu [IJUFKS 11 (2003) 573–586] proposed a "fuzzy elementary renewal theorem" and "fuzzy renewal rewards theorem" for a renewal process in which the inter-arrival times and rewards are characterized as continuous fuzzy variables. The continuity assumption is restrictive. In this note, we prove the same results without the assumption of continuity of the inter-arrival times and rewards.


The effect of adding two different organic materials; wheat extract and bactopeptone was studied on some of the most abundant Bacterivorous Hymnostomes collected from freshwater canal in Shibin El-Koum, Menoufia. It was found that some of these ciliates prefer plant protein as wheat, others prefer animal protein as bactopeptone, someone have the ability to accommodate with both organic materials. A significant positive relationship between log doubling times and log cell volumes of these hymnostomes was confirmed.


This paper overviews the variety of chelating agents and their main use in different industries.Together with an outline of the existing main chelating agents,this paper makes a study on the production process of some conventional chelating agents including ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA),diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid(DTPA),nitrilotriacetic acid(NTA) and hydroxyethyl ethylene diamine triacetic acid(HEDTA).By making an introduction of the new chelating agents that are degradable and eco-friendly,this paper highlights on the production process of glutamate N-N-diacetic acid(GLDA) and glucoheptonate acid(glucoheptonate) as well as their outstanding advantages;A preview on the trend of the chelating agents' development is made at the end.


The present article offers a view of the value which certain art pieces have as historical documents. So a thorough study is made of the different symbolic elements of a piece of great iconographic interest, the Gemma Augustea in the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna.


Based on the deformation formulas of the wire cable about the hoist,by using the software MATLAB-SIMULINK,the vibration model was established.Through the put in of different parameter values,we not only gat the effects of parameter changes to system vibration,but so gained the optimal parameters,which have some values to the optimal design about the hoist.


Justo Rufino Barrios, president of Guatemala, closes his eyes and hears a din of railroads and steam engines violating the silence of the monasteries. There is no stopping synthetic dyes in the world's markets, and no one buys the cochineal and indigo Guatemala sells. It's time for coffee. The market demands coffee and coffee demands lands and hands, trains and ports. To modernize the country, Barrios expels the parasitic monks, seizes from the church its immense properties and gives them to his closest friends. He also expropriates the lands of Indian communities. Collective property is abolished by decree and compulsory peonage is imposed. To integrate the Indian into the nation , the Liberal government makes him a serf of the new coffee plantations. The colonial system of forced labour returns. Soldiers tour the plantations distributing Indians. Eduardo Galeano, Faces and Masks (1987)


This case explored the Dhaka based garment Tazreen factory fire, which killed and injured a large number of people. Through this accident, the case investigated the poor working conditions in the garments industry of Bangladesh, which frequently puts the life of millions of workers in danger. Despite the fact that the garment industry has been the backbone of the country, the case exposed how the workers of Bangladesh are exploited socially and economically inside the factories. Highlighting the irresponsible nature of the managers of the factory during the tragedy, this case also sheds light on the negligent behavior of major Western brands that have an undeniable responsibility towards maintaining better safety conditions for the factory workers. Additionally, the case discussed about the unrest in the RMG sector added by the poor response of the government towards such mishaps and delaying the compensation to the fire victims.


This paper designs a model of muti-echelon closed-loop supply chain network (CLSC network). CLSC network includes raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distribution centers, collection centers and customer zones. The purpose of this paper is to minimize the overall costs of CLSC network. The overall costs include transportation cost, fixed cost, variable cost, penalty cost. This model is a mixed integer linear programming model. In general, it is very difficult to solve the model. Cplex12.6 is used in order to deal with this model. The results show that this model can be solved by Cplex12.6 well.


The MIMO channels are correlated in real propagation environment,they are assumed to be independent and identically distributed in the existing schemes.Focusing on this problem,a new antenna selection algorithm with low complexity is presented.The proposed algorithm uses the lower bound of the minimum singular value given by the singular value estimation method,and chooses the column whose lower bound of the minimum singular value is maximum to increase the minimum singular value,so the capacity is maximized and the performance of BER is better.The theoretical analysis and simulation results indicate that both capacity and BER performance of the proposed algorithm are better than that of the random selection algorithm and close to the optimal algorithm.The complexity is very low when the selected antennas are small.


Objetive: To analyze the expectations of first level of attention physicians (FLAP) about continuing medical education. Material and methods: An exploratory ...


Three questions should be raised on the book as a whole. All criticisms are concerned with uniformity. First, there is a lack of uniformity in format. The editor should have written a more detailed introduction in which the common structure of the articles is elaborated. Second,, there is a lack of criteria for the selection of countries. The editor does not explain why Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Uganda, and Nigeria have been selected under the title of cultural subnationalism. Criteria can be geographical, historical, or anthropological, but they should be uniform. All the newly-independent Black African states are multiethnic, but they have different colonial and anthropological backgrounds: some were former British colonies and others French, Belgian, and so forth. Some belong to the Bantu while others are Nilotic. The selected countries do not belong to the same anthropological category, nor do they share the same colonial history. Finally, there is a lack of consistency. As the title of the book clearly indicates, the subject of the book is cultural subnationalism or tribalism. Therefore, statistics on ethnic composition of each country are essential. The section on Nigeria includes a map showing the geographical location of ethnic groups but no census data showing the numerical strength of each group. On the other hand, there is no map in the section on Kenya. The ethnic breakdown is shown in a footnote. Rothchild does not even make clear whether he is discussing regionalism or tribalism. He may have assumed that, as far as Kenya is concerned, they are the same since a particular ethnic group lives in a particular region. But he should still show the geographical locations of groups. Simpson also ill-treats the data on the ethnic breakdown. It is not only imperfect but is given too small a space. Unless a reader gains a clear picture of the ethnic composition of each country, he will have great difficulty in understanding the nature of subnationalisms in that country.


The way in which the vocabulary derives means the way to create neologisms,the same as"to make morphology".There are two kinds of derivation ways of Chinese disyllabic or polysyllabic words,i. e.:the language inner producing way and external factors influencing way.And its inner includes sound and meaning breeding,language formatting,grammar analogizing,etc.seven kinds of concrete formulation and influence ways.


The Loire Valley, stretching east of Nantes to Gien, attracted great men who built splendid chateaux, and inspired local writers such as Rabelais, Ronsard and Du Bellay. It was also the cradle of the French Resistance. The wide variety of the landscape of the region ranges from the well-stocked game-forests of the Sologne to the picturesque valleys of the Cher and Indre, the immense plains of the Beauce, the green, winding valleys of the Loir, Sarthe and Mayenne, and the wooded farmland of Anjoi. This guide to the chateaux of the Loire Valley is designed specifically for tourists and contains itineraries for varying lengths of visit. Also included are details of local culture, economy, history, geography, architecture and places of interest, as well as practical information.


techniques. Several very useful lessons were learnt and hence we are reporting the case. The first anaesthetic used was nitrous oxide, halothane and methoxytlurane. Once the child was anaesthetised, several attempts were made at blind nasotracheal intubation, without success. The operation was postponed while we contemplated the problem. A lateral X-ray of the neck was very informative because it showed that the larynx was situated at the level of C, vertebra which is higher than the usual ievel at the age of C3-4. It also showed an anterior inclination of the upper trachea. Both these features increased the difficulty of blind nasotracheal intubation and made us realise that greater pressure had to be applied on the larynx to bring it into line with the tube when it was advanced through the nose. The anaesthetic used on the second occasion was similar to the technique used at that time for the bronchoscopy: gammahydroxybutyrate for induction and to provide basal anaesthesia, atropine, nitrous oxide, halothane and methoxyflurane. Lignocaine was instilled via a catheter into the back of the pharynx. The larynx was pushed back into the pool of lignocaine, thereby covering it with a coat of the local anaesthetic. After the larynx had been dipped into it, the local anaesthetic was sucked out. The neck was flexed so that when the nasotracheal tube was passed it advanced directly towards the larynx which was pushed back with external pressure. The application of local anaesthetic overcame the problem, which had occurred on the previous occasion, of glottic closure as soon as the larynx was touched by the advancing tube. The patient was paralysed and the lungs ventilated after successful intubation. The gums were separated and the bony bar between the mandible and palate was divided. The mouth still opened only 3 mm, so a further operation was performed 3 weeks later to try to increase jaw mobility. Direct laryngoscopy was still impossible so blind nasotracheal intubation was achieved following induction with nitrous oxide and halothane, and then the introduction of ether. Five per cent carbon dioxide was added to increase ventilation. This is a well known way of facilitating intubation under deep ether anaesthesia because it causes maximum glottic opening in inspiration and enables the breath sounds to be heard easily as the tube approaches the larynx. The other problem in this child was the limited choice of veins for intravenous access due to the abnormalities of his hands and foot. The lessons learnt from this case were the value of a lateral neck X-ray to show the position of the larynx if difficult intubation is expected and the usefulness of dipping the larynx into a pool of local anaesthetic to anaesthetise the larynx prior to blind intubation.


Abstract : The proceedings of the third triparite conference on submarine medicine are reported. Five sessions were included in the 2-day conference, namely; (1) (STANAG 1206) Maximum Concentrations of Toxic Substances during Operational Conditions; (2)(STANAG 1184) Emergency Conditions at 1 ATA--Maximum Concentrations in Conventional Submarines;(3)The Toxicology of Atmosphere Contaminants in Submarines;(4)Escape or Rescue Distressed Submarines; and (5) Effects of Lifestyles aboard Submarines on Human Performance and Function. Participants included scientists from the three nations--France, the United Kingdom and the United States.


The cytotoxic action of 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) is considered to be mainly the result of alkylation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). If ACNU acts chiefly on DNA, sensitivity to ACNU might have a close relation to nuclear DNA content. In this study, the relative DNA content in three established human glioma cell lines, NP-1, NP-2, and NP-3, was investigated by flow cytometry and correlated to their sensitivity to ACNU. For flow cytometric analysis, the cells were fixed in 75% ethanol, treated with ribonuclease and pepsin, and stained with ethidium bromide. Human peripheral mononuclear cells were used as an internal standard for determining the DNA index. Sensitivity to ACNU was evaluated by the cell growth curve and perturbed DNA histograms. DNA indices were 1.8 for NP-1 and 1.0 for NP-3. A DNA histogram of NP-2 showed three peaks. Therefore two clonal cell lines, clone A and clone B, were segregated from NP-2; their DNA indices were 1.4 and 2.4, respectively. The growth-inhibitory effect of ACNU was dose-dependent but varied greatly with each cell line. Analysis of the alteration of the DNA histograms after exposure to various doses of ACNU showed common features in all cell lines; the more the cell growth was inhibited by treatment with a higher dosage of ACNU, the more the cells accumulated in S and G2M phases and the less the pattern of the DNA histogram returned to that of the control with the lapse of time. Based on this principle, the histograms of each cell line were compared and the sensitivities were determined together with the result of the growth curve. The sequence was NP-2 clone A, NP-2 clone B, NP-1, NP-3 in the order of high to low sensitivity to ACNU. Flow cytometric analysis revealed some interesting characteristics of these cell lines. It was suggested that sensitivity to ACNU of human glioma cells might increase with nuclear DNA content deviating from the normal amount to a higher one. The difference in sensitivity to ACNU between NP-2 clone A and clone B, which were representative of different populations in terms of DNA content, showed the heterogeneity and complexity of human malignant gliomas.


As e-commerce continues to grow, so does the opportunity for perpetrating online fraud. As a result many researches have been conducted to make online transactions possible in a risk free environment by proposing different fraud detection methods. Concept drift is an inherent feature in many data streams such as electronic financial transactions. Hence, many fraud detection techniques have tried to detect and preferably manage concept drift. In this paper, a new concept drift management framework has been proposed. In this framework a temporary profile has been introduced in order to retain new concepts in the incoming data stream independently from historical profile. When the historical profile reaches a different decision from the temporary profile this is an indication that most probably a concept drift has occurred. In this case, a window based method is applied as a strategy for managing concept drift. The ability to adapt normal profiles systematically makes this concept drift management framework applicable to any profile based fraud detection method. Simulation results indicate that the proposed scheme is able to reduce the false positives (FPs) of a typical fraud detection method to 4.3% on average in the presence of a wide variety of concept drifts in the incoming transactions. This is an average of 85.7% reduction in FPs for this fraud detection technique.


We are very grateful to Carma Hinton, one of the producers of The Gate of Heavenly Peace, the controversial documentary film on the June Fourth Movement, for initiating the translation of our book. We are pleased that she found our book interesting and thought that it deserved an English readership. Hinton selected the sections to be translated for this journal.


Moisture measurement of bulk materials is important factor considering optimization of the milling process. Moisture measurement of loose material is difficult due to its inhomogeneities. Review of existing techniques for moisture measurement of bulk material proved that universal methods for moisture measurement of bulk material are not currently available. The distinctive construction of the electromagnetic mill requires the use of dedicated measuring devices. The object of the research is to develop a low-cost and reliable transducer for moisture measurement in an electromagnetic mill. The article presents the results of research on impedance methods of measurement. There is also described innovative design of the dedicated transducer. Examination of the transducer has been made after installing it in the screw feeder of the electromagnetic mill. The resulting measuring range, accuracy and reliability presented in this paper confirm the possibility of developing cheap and reliable devices for moisture measurement of bulk material in the installation of electromagnetic mill.


Modern society is subject to fundamental processes of change at an accelerating pace, which is creating many new challenges also for the governance system of the Federal Republic of Germany. New information technologies (IT) are rated among the most important instruments to tackle the challenges. In order to make use of this potential the German federal government has supported the development and the introduction of egovernment applications with various initiatives and highly endowed promotion programs. For projects in the area of the initiative Bund Online 2005 alone, more than 1.6 billion euros have been granted.


Spatially resolved, long-slit spectra obtained with the Manchester echelle spectrometer of the planetary nebula J320 have been compared with Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based images. The morphology and kinematics of the nebular core have been convincingly modelled using the Xshape code.

Two and possibly three bipolar lobes, expanding at ≈ 46 km s−1 but with different axial orientations, have been found to constitute the bright central nebula. These are found to be surrounded by two sets of point-symmetric, high-speed knots reminiscent of those that could be generated by a bipolar, rotating, episodic jet. Another isolated knot exists but without a counterpart.

The sequence and nature of the periodic ejections that have given rise to this complex structure are considered in view of the most recent theories of the shaping and evolution of planetary nebulae.


This paper presents the switchability of a flow from one domain into another one through the boundary in the periodically driven, discontinuous dynamical system. The normal vector-field product for a flow switching on the separation boundary is introduced, and the passability condition of a flow to the discontinuous boundary is developed analytically, and the sliding and grazing conditions to the separation boundary are presented as well. Numerical illustrations of periodic motions with and without sliding on the boundary are given, and the normal vector fields are illustrated to show the flow switchability on the discontinuous boundary.


Abstract We consider the problem faced by an investor who must liquidate a given basket of assets over a finite time horizon. The investor's goal is to maximize the expected utility of the sales revenues over a class of adaptive strategies. We assume that the investor's utility has constant absolute risk aversion (CARA) and that the asset prices are given by a very general continuous-time, multiasset price impact model. Our main result is that (perhaps surprisingly) the investor does no worse if he narrows his search to deterministic strategies. In the case where the asset prices are given by an extension of the nonlinear price impact model of Almgren [(2003) Applied Mathematical Finance, 10, pp. 1–18], we characterize the unique optimal strategy via the solution of a Hamilton equation and the value function via a nonlinear partial differential equation with singular initial condition.


A device for delivering a metered amount of a powdered catalyst mixture into a sample boat is described. The design of the dispenser ensures that the hygroscopic mixture is stored and dispensed under clean conditions.


Simulation has come a long way since the author started at Sperry Gyroscope Co. at its site at Bracknell, Berkshire, England in 1964. Then the main activity was military simulation using valve analog simulators. Following a move to a lectureship at Manchester University in 1966, a progression from analog to digital simulation via hybrid analog and digital systems (the latter being the topic of the authors' PhD thesis), was followed by an incursion to digital signal processing and the design of several digital computers and back to simulation. The paper follows the authors frequent involvement in both simulation and the activities of the UK Society, the European Societies, the formation of Eurosim and with the American and European branches of the Society of Computer Simulation. The paper also traces the authors' involvement in various developments in technology, software and applications of simulation, and in particular with increasing international involvement with simulation conference management. These activities have brought with them a great deal of friendship, happiness, foreign travel and satisfaction. May this continue for years to come.


We report the fabrication and measurement of a finite‐periode lateral superlattice within a Coulomb blockaded island, thereby creating a quantum dot with a periodic internal substructure. The potential modulation introduces an additional length scale to the quantum dot state, which can be probed with a perpendicular magnetic field.


This document provides state-of-the-practice information on off-gas treatment technologies for soil vapor extraction (SVE) systems currently being used to clean up hazardous waste sites. It provides information on a wide variety of processes, including common practices as well as innovative emerging alternatives to illustrate the state of the practice. This information can help SVE project managers and practitioners with the following:


This work used Fenton's reagent as a coagulating agent in the treatment of water samples with high true colour caused by humic substances (HS) extracted from peat. In addition, the effects of the apparent molecular size of HS on coagulation, fl occulation and fl otation were studied. To that end, four distinct water samples having the same true colour were prepared using HS with different molecular sizes, which were obtained by ultrafi ltration fractioning. Through optimisation of coagulant dosage and coagulation pH, as well as posterior construction of coagulation diagrams for each water sample, it was verifi ed that the sample prepared with the smallest apparent molecular size of HS was the most diffi cult to treat, requiring higher coagulant (Fenton's reagent) dosages than samples prepared with larger HS molecular sizes. Furthermore, fi ltration experiments after dissolved air fl otation (DAF) were carried out in an attempt to simulate conventional treatment. The most representative results in fi ltered water were: apparent colour ≤ 3 HU; turbidity < 0.5 NTU; and residual iron concentration < 0.005 mg/L. The absorbance and total organic carbon values of fi ltered water samples were also very low, suggesting that the formation of disinfection by-products with chlorine would likely be insignifi cant.


Arola, Hanna Survival and growth of brown trout early life stages in the River Savijoki affected by gypsum-treated fields Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2019, 29 s. Proceedings of the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä 1/2019. ISSN 2669-8986 ISBN 978-951-39-7724-5 (PDF) In 2016, University of Helsinki and Finnish Environment Institute started a project SAVE "Saving the Archipelago Sea by applying gypsum to agricultural fields" to investigate the effects of gypsum treatment of agricultural fields on aquatic environment. Project SAVE was among the key projects of the Finnish Government, and The Finnish Ministry of Environment funded the project. The gypsum, i.e. calcium sulphate, treatment has decreased the phosphorus loading from the fields, but also tripled the sulphate concentration of the River Savijoki that intersects the pilot area. High sulphate concentration is known to be detrimental to aquatic organisms, such as fish. Thus, University of Jyväskylä investigated the effects of gypsum treatment on early life stage survival and growth of brown trout (Salmo trutta) by an in situ incubation method. The incubation experiment was started in October 2017 and finished in May 2018. Incubations were done at three sites. Savijoki sites included a reference site upstream from the gypsum treatment area and a gypsum treatment affected site. A second reference site representing a woodland catchment was in the nearby River Järvijoki. The gypsum treatment was expected either to increase the egg survival due to decreased loading of suspended solids, or to decrease it due to the higher sulphate concentration of the stream water. Survival was low at all study sites. In April, the mean survival was 7, 13 and 26 % at the Savijoki reference, gypsum-affected and Järvijoki reference site, respectively. All living embryos were hatched by May, but the survival had further decreased. By the end of May, living individuals were not observed at either of the Savijoki sites, and at the Järvijoki site the mean survival was 9 %. Sand had accumulated in every incubation cylinder, which likely decreased the survival. The embryonic and larval growth depended mainly on the accumulated degree days, and no notable difference in the total length of the individuals was observed among the three sites. The effect of the gypsum treatment could not be assessed due to the accumulation of sand. It would be worthwhile to repeat the experiment, since the weather conditions were somewhat exceptional during this incubation period.


The configuration of an electron energy loss spectrometer is presented which even at high resolution utilises a broad energy spectrum from the electron gun. Thereby higher intensity in the loss spectrum can be achieved. It differs from the Andersen-le Poole arrangement by an additional field lens allowing the use of all types of dispersive energy filters. A test model yielded an energy loss resolution of 31 meV with electrons of 0.23 eV energy width in the specimen plane.


Molecular simulations are performed to investigate the interplay of the nonframework Na + cations and the nonpolar (CH 4 )/polar (H 2 O) sorbates separately in titanosilicate ETS-10. Five types of Na + cations are identified in the ETS-10 framework based on the different geometric positions and site energies. Located in the 12-ring channels and with the lowest site energy, type V cations show substantially greater mobility than type I-IV cations that remain essentially static in the 7-ring channels and the 7- and 12-ring channel intersections. The predicted adsorption isotherms of both CH 4 and H 2 O in Na-ETS-10 agree well with the literature data. Two and three adsorption sites are observed for CH4 and H 2 O, respectively. Compared to CH 4 , H 2 O exhibits a greater extent of adsorption and a much smaller diffusivity. Diffusion of CH 4 drops monotonically as loading increases due to the steric hindrance. The interplay between Na + and CH 4 is not pronounced because of the weak van der Waals interactions, and the number of each type of Na + ion does not change appreciably upon the adsorption of CH4. However, the interplay is remarkable between Na + and H 2 O as a consequence of strong electrostatic interactions. Redistribution of Na + ions is observed upon the adsorption of H 2 O, in which the number of type V cations increases while other types slightly decrease. As the loading increases, diffusion of H 2 O initially rises and then drops as largely determined by H 2 O in the 12-ring channels. The mobility of Na + follows H 2 O in the 7- and 12-ring channel intersections due to the formation of Na + -H 2 O complex.


A coordinated large-signal modulation strategy for multi-infeed HVDC systems is presented in this paper. With the HVDC systems being treated as a variable admittance connected at the commutation busbars, the control law of HVDC system's transfer power can be derived using optimal control theory. A two level hierarchical control structure is assumed for the rectifier and inverter side ac system respectively. The control of constituent HVDC subsystems can be better coordinated by the consideration of the ac commutation voltage included in the optimized performance index, and both the performance of rectifier and inverter side ac systems are considered.


Automatic extraction of time plane features is important for cardiac disease diagnosis. ECG signals commonly change their statistical property over time and are highly nonstationary signals. For the analysis of ECG signals wavelet transform is a powerful tool. This paper presents a discrete wavelet transform based system for detection and extraction of P wave, QRS complex, and ST segment. The features like amplitude, frequency, energy are extracted from the Electrocardiogram (ECG) to classify them into normal and arrhythmic. The extracted features are given as input to neural network to classify them into normal and arrhythmic. The algorithm was implemented in MATLAB and the same was implemented in real time using Lab VIEW by acquiring the signal from subjects using BioKit(3-lead ECG).The above wavelet technique provides less computational time and better accuracy for classification, analysis and characterization of normal and abnormal patterns of ECG.


The vascular system is a complex network of conduit and microvascular vessels exposed to different microenvironments that imprints unique phenotypic traits on individual endothelial cell populations. Endothelial cells in fully differentiated blood vessels in adult tissues have a quiescent phenotype characterized by an increased resistance to proliferate, migrate or undergo apoptosis. The intrinsic capacity of endothelial cells to switch from a quiescent to angiogenic phenotype however plays an important role in wound healing, several vascular proliferative disorders and tumor angiogenesis. Endothelial cells revert to an angiogenic phenotype as isolated cells in culture nonetheless they are contact inhibited at confluence reflecting their in vivo phenotype in the endothelium. In this study, we used time-lapse video microscopy to study early events in endothelial sheet migration in confluent monolayers of primary endothelial cells derived from conduit (PAECs) and microvascular (PMVECs) blood vessels. Recordings were made in a live cell chamber and were restricted to six hours to minimize the effect of proliferation on sheet migration. PMVECs at the wound edge were significantly highly spread and squamous in appearance compared to PAECs, which had a distinctly more cuboidal morphology. Majority (>95%) of PMVECs at the wound edge produced extensive lamellipodia based on morphology and dynamics that measured 25 μm ± 4 μm. By contrast, PAECs formed significantly smaller lamelipodia which extended by 8 μm ± 4 μm. On average PMVEC sheets migrated at a speed of 12.5 μm per hour covering a total distance of 75 μm ± 15 μm (n=6). Sheet migration rate in PMVECs was 3-fold faster than in PAECs (3.8 μm per hour), which covered a total distance of 23 μm ± 10 μm in the same time period. To unravel the molecular basis for this functional diversity, gene micro array analysis was performed. We identified unique transcriptional profiles for cell-cell adhesion molecules, integrins and disintegrin-metalloproteases each with a distinct role in collective cell migration. In particular, integrin alpha 7, which is a major regulator of lamellipodia formation was found to be 20-fold more abundant in PMVECs than in PAECs. This study provides molecular and functional evidence for heterogeneity of endothelial sheet migration. This central finding highlights variability in angiogenic plasticity in fully differentiated endothelial cells, which may have important ramifications for anti-angiogenesis therapy.


So I've been doing my homework, reading the Ministry of Education's web site, which includes detailed lists of expected outcomes at all levels of education. When I started to read these I expected to see something like the attainment targets in the UK National Curriculum: abilities in language, numeracy, etc. In fact the closest the Singaporean outcomes come to pure academic statements are things like "seek, process and apply knowledge" or "have a lively curiosity about things".


This master thesis shows the process of designing business models for value chain optimization with the realtime streaming calendaring service platform, and the process of designing a business model generation toolkit. It was done for the startup company Calendar42, located at YES!Delft. During the graduation project, 4 business models were designed together with the implementation plan and a business model generation toolkit was designed and elaborated up to a prototype.


In the literature, some studies have shown that determining the consistency of bipolar fuzzy relational equations is NP-complete. Namely, the solution procedure for solving a system of bipolar fuzzy relational equations with max-product composition contains a high computational complexity. In this study, some sufficient conditions for consistency of bipolar fuzzy relational equations are proposed to reduce the difficulty of detecting the case of an empty solution set. Numerical examples illustrate that the proposed properties are simple to use and do not require to generate the set of possible feasible solution pairs.


Objective:To study the influence on mother and child of pregnant woman with diabetic retinopathy(DR) and pregnant influence on DR.Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted of 56 cases pregnancy with diabetes from July 1987 to July 2003 among which 7 cases with DR named group A and 49 cases without DR named group B.Results: Complications occurred frequently in two groups,but there were no significant difference between them.There were high correlation between complications and blood sugar level.DR still belongs to simplex type in spite of aggravated in 28.5 percent of pregnant women.Conclusions: Pregnancy with DR could continue.However,Changes of eye ground and blood sugar need to be detected and controlled rigorously among at decreasing complications on mother and neonate.


With the growth of the Web, there has been a rapid increase in the number of users who need to access online databases without having a detailed knowledge of the schema or of query languages; even relatively simple query languages designed for non-experts are too complicated for them. We describe BANKS, a system which enables keyword-based search on relational databases, together with data and schema browsing. BANKS enables users to extract information in a simple manner without any knowledge of the schema or any need for writing complex queries. A user can get information by typing a few keywords, following hyperlinks, and interacting with controls on the displayed results. BANKS models tuples as nodes in a graph, connected by links induced by foreign key and other relationships. Answers to a query are modeled as rooted trees connecting tuples that match individual keywords in the query. Answers are ranked using a notion of proximity coupled with a notion of prestige of nodes based on inlinks, similar to techniques developed for Web search. We present an efficient heuristic algorithm for finding and ranking query results.