Deletion of Phe-508 (ΔF508) in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator causes cystic fibrosis because of misfolding of the protein. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) containing the equivalent mutation (ΔY490) is also misfolded but can be rescued with drug substrates. Whether rescue is due to direct binding of drug substrate to the transmembrane (TM) segments or to indirect effects on cellular protein folding pathways is still controversial. P-gp-drug substrate interactions likely involve hydrogen bonds. If the mechanism of drug rescue involves changes to TM packing then we should be able to identify suppressor mutations in the TM segments that can mimic the drug rescue effects. We predicted that an arginine residue in the TM segments predicted to line the drug-binding pocket of P-gp (I306(TM5) or F343(TM6)) might suppress ΔY490 P-gp protein misfolding because it has the highest propensity to form hydrogen bonds. We show that R306(TM5) or R343(TM6) increased the relative amount of mature ΔY490 P-gp by 6-fold. Most other changes to Ile-306 or Phe-343 did not enhance maturation of ΔY490 P-gp. The I306R mutant also promoted maturation of misprocessed mutants that had mutations in the second nucleotide-binding domain (L1260A), the cytoplasmic loops (G251V, F804A), the linker region (P709A), or in TM segments (G300V, G722A). These results show that arginine residues in the TM domains can mimic the drug rescue effects and are effective suppressor mutations for processing mutations located throughout the molecule.


AbstractAudit is a necessary utility in order to have a functional business world, one of the auditors most important task is to secure the economic information that the companies deliver in their annual report. A situation worth to highlight is when the auditor and the companies can´t get along about the auditors actual responsibility, when this happens an expectation gap occurs. Before this essay started, the authors assumed that an expectation gap did exist. The majority of earlier studies have proved that this is the case. A study of what can be done to eliminate this expectation gap could not be found, which made the subject of this essay possible. Even though assumptions were made that the expectation gap did exist, the authors felt the need of examine why the expectation gap exist in order to come up with suggestions for how put an end to it. On the basis of this, a purpose with a descriptive and normative character was formulated:"The purpose with this essay were to examine why the expectations gap do exists in the audit business and what can be done in order to decrease the expectations gap."The method has a deductive research approach which conducted a qualitative research. The empirical information in this study consisted of eight interviews in a qualitative form. Four interviews were conducted with five qualified auditors from four of Sweden's biggest accounting firms. The questions consisted of how the auditors experience the expectations gap, why it exists and what they think can be done in order to decrease it. Four interviews were conducted with joint-stock company, this in order to get their view of the problem.During the conduction of the essay it has emarged that the expectation gap to a large extent arises because of that the companies have unrealistic expectations on the auditor. There is a missunderstanding about the auditor's proper role and how long their responsibilities go. The companies believe often that the auditors will find all the possible errors that can to exist in their annual report. Certain companies have also difficulty to see difference between account and audit, and the auditor that have done the audit should not be among those who makes the companies anuual report. The study has shown that there is a various of measurements that could decrease the expectation gap. One of the most important measurement has shown to be a good communication between the auditor and the customer. Also an abolishing of the audit duty, could decrease the expectation gap.


Abstract A new interpolation algorithm for 2D data is presented that is based on the least-squares optimization of a spline-like scheme. This interpolation technique is then integrated into a two-source decomposition scheme for image-data compression. First, an optimum least-squares bilinear interpolation is implemented and applied to a uniform image sampling. Second, the problem of spatial adaptivity is addressed in order to fully exploit the compression capability of the technique. The solution lies in a nonuniform sampling strategy based on a recursive splitting algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed image-interpolation algorithm is very efficient. The major advantages of this scheme over traditional block-coding methods are the absence of the tiling effect (thanks to the continuity constraints imposed on the reconstruction process) and a more effective exploitation of interblock correlation.


I n " dEsigning thE Perfect Auction " (Aug. 2008), Hal R. Varian noted that such auctions have many practical and obvious applications , including in Web advertising, cooperative robotics, digital business ecosystems, digital preservation , and network management. Auctions, by means of complementary community currencies, can also radically shift the way we conceive scientific cooperation. As we advocated in our paper " Selecting Scientific Papers for Publication via Citation Auctions " (IEEE Intelligent Systems, Nov./Dec. 2007), replacing peer review with an auction-based approach would benefit science in general. The better a submitted paper, the more complementary scientific currency its author(s) would likely bid to have it published. If the bid would truly reflect the paper's quality, the author(s) would be rewarded in this new scientific currency; otherwise, the author(s) would lose the currency. For all scientists, citations are a form of currency available worldwide, unlike the legal national currencies, which are scarce, especially in the third world. Auctions using citations as currency (" citation auctions ") would encourage scientists to better control the quality of their submissions, since those who are careless risk being dropped from the system. Scientists would also likely be more motivated to prepare worthwhile talks concerning their accepted papers and invite discussion of their results by their peers. Scientists would also likely focus on fewer papers and market them better. Citation auctions could thus greatly improve scientific research, helping it shift from peer review as the reigning selection method toward a continuously improving process of selection based on auctions. Calculating the value of a work of art or historical document is clearly difficult , and projecting that value into the future is even more difficult. The same holds when trying to calculate the current and possible future value of a scientific work. In a sort of back-to-basics movement, like science in the 18th and 19th centuries, that calculation could now be updated through citation auctions. Peer review would continue, though in a more proper place in the scientific production chain—before selection for publication—rather than as the sole selection step. This distributed-algorithmic mechanism would provide an interesting theoretical framework for incorporating incentives into algorithmic design , with bidding using an uncertain valuation of a work's quality, senior scientists helping their younger counterparts enter the scientific system, the marketing of scientific work through recommender systems, the avoidance of citation inflation, the creation of banks of citations, and …


Fattyamidopropyl betaine(FAB) was synthesized with purified garbage oil(PGO),N,N-dimethyl-1,3-diaminopropane(PDA) and sodium chloroacetate,and leveling capability of FAB was investigated by dyeing with wool fabric.Fattyamidopropyldimethylamine(FAA),the intermediate product,was firstly prepared with n(PGO)∶n(PDA)=1∶3.15,and 1.0%(based on mass of PGO) potassium hydroxide as catalyst,reacting at 110 ℃ for 2.0~2.5 h.The yield was above 97%.Then,adding equal mole of sodium chloroacetate to FAA,and proceeding the quaternization reaction at 80~85 ℃ for 5~6 h,the brown transparent flowable slimy FAB was successfully obtained in 93% yield.The results of dyeing test indicate that FAB shows the same leveling capability and dye migration as Albegal Set made in Ciba Company,and the dye uptake was 78% after dyeing was carried out for 60 min at 80 ℃ and pH=3.5 in the dye liquor 〔m(fabric)∶m(water)=1∶50,adding mixed dyes and FAB each to 1.0% of the wool fabric〕.In addition,the fastness of dye was not affected.


Modeling and simulation are important parts in the analysis and design of the electrical systems. The power electronic units play a vital role in power systems especially with the revolution in renewable energy resources and their penetration to the power grid. Inverters play key roles in interfacing renewable energy sources and power systems. Modeling of inverters and understanding each part will help in improving the performance and stability of power systems. In order to preserve the network stability and to achieve acceptable dynamic behavior of the voltage and frequency well-designed controllers for inverter becomes an important research subject. Different researches introduced the controllers for parallel operation of DG inverters in a microgrid during grid-connected and islanded operation modes. However, system stability for different controller parameters has not been investigated. In this thesis, mathematical model of an inverter-based micro-grid is presented. This model is used to design current and voltage controllers using conventional and fuzzy techniques. State space model is obtained and system stability is investigated around selected operating points with variation of the conventional controller parameters. The quality of the designed controllers is tested using MATLAB/SIMULINK platform. To validate the proposed control methodology, the designed controller is tested on the actual nonlinear system using SIMULINK. Details of results, discussion and future work that can be further accomplished in this area are explained and presented at the end of the thesis.


Introduction Iraq's Strategic Culture The High Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces Trends in Iraq's Force Strength, Military Expenditures, Arms Imports, and Military Industries The Threat from Iraq's Land Forces The Threat from Iraqi Air and Air Defense Forces The Threat from Iraqi Naval Forces Unconventional Warfare and Terrorism Conventional Forces and the Outcome of the War Sanctions Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction and the War of Sanctions The Scale of Iraq's Programs and Competing Iranian and Israeli Efforts Iraq's Strategic Culture and Weapons of Mass Destruction Iraq's Artillery Delivery Systems Iraq's Air Delivery Systems Iraq's Missile Capabilities Iraqi Terrorism, Unconventional Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction Iraq's Past and Future Chemical Weapons Capabilities Iraq's Past and Future Biological Weapons Capabilities Iraq's Past and Future Nuclear Capaibility The Policy Implications of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Iraq's Military Future Sources and Methods


Wind power generation has the features of fluctuation,intermittent and random.Wind power grid-connected causes a serious challenge to the safe operation of power system.So wind speed prediction is of great significance.Support vector machine is a common and well developed method of wind speed prediction.However,the input characteristics have great effects on the accuracy of prediction and feature selection has been commonly concerned.In this article,the phase-space reconstruction theory is used to predict wind speed.Comparing with the method of using natural features as the input characteristics,the prediction method of the support vector machine based on phase space reconstruction is superior.


This paper presents a series of 95 new measurements of the longitudinal (effective) magnetic field $B_e$ of the Ap star $\gamma$ Equ (HD 201601). Observations were obtained at the coud\'e focus of the 1-m reflector at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO RAS) in Russia over a time period of 4190 days (more than 11 years). We compiled a long record of $B_e$ points, adding our measurements to all published data. The time series of magnetic data consists of 395 $B_e$ points extending for 24488 days, or over 67 years. Various methods of period determination were examined for the case in which the length of the observed time series is rather short and amounts only to ~69 percent of the period. We argue that the fitting of a sine wave to the observed $B_e$ points by least squares yields the most reliable period in the case of $\gamma$ Equ. Therefore, the best period for long-term magnetic variations of $\gamma$ Equ, and hence the rotational period, is $P_{\rm rot}=35462.5 \pm 1149$ days $= 97.16 \pm 3.15$ years.


To address the small-signal oscillation issue, the grid-forming (GFM) control scheme can be an alternative to the more conventional grid-following (GFL) control to regulate the single-phase four-quadrant converter (4QC) in railway traction applications. However, unlike GFL control, the GFM control scheme cannot guarantee start-up without inrush current. The situation become even more critical when take the unique interphase operation scenario of railway vehicle. This paper evaluates the transient performance of GFM-controlled 4QC in the inter-phase operation scenario. A phase-lock-loop (PLL) based solution is developed for rapid pre-synchronization to eliminate the inrush current. The results indicate that with the proposal together with proper design of the frequency-regulator, the GFM-controlled 4QC can start up in a rapid and smooth manner.


A teacher can be any age. Just ask Chrissie Mckenney. She was only 10 when she started teaching. How did Chrissie get the job? It was not easy. Chrissie wanted to help children who cannot hear. But the school had never had such a young helper. Could Chrissie do it? First Chrissie learned to sign(打手语;手语). Signing is a way of talking with your hands.


Public participation has become an important driver in increasing public acceptance of policy decisions, especially in the forestry sector, where conflicting interests among the actors are frequent. Stakeholder Analysis, complemented by Social Network Analysis techniques, was used to support the participatory process and to understand the complex relationships and the strong interactions among actors. This study identifies the forestry training sector stakeholders in the Western Italian Alps and describes their characteristics and priorities, in relation to training activities on entrepreneurial topics for forestry loggers. The hierarchy among actors has been identified, highlighting their respective roles and influence in decision-making processes. A lack of mutual communication among different and well-separated categories of actors has been identified, while good connections between stakeholders, operating in different territories, despite the presence of administrative and logistical barriers, have been observed. Training is a topic involving actors with different roles and interests. Nevertheless, all actors consider training about how to improve yields of forest operations and how to assess investments, particularly in innovative machinery, to be crucially important and conducive to a better comprehension of the wood supply chain and the enhancement of the raw material.


Ethiopia is among Sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries which qualified for Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Act, a U.S trade preference program, allows SSA countries to export qualified products to the U.S market free of tariff and quota. By using this act, Ethiopian textile sub-sector has been exporting its products since 2001. Its export performance has been improved dramatically in recent few years. However, the sub-sector has not fully able to use the AGOA chance and still ranks among the countries of the lowest level of competitiveness. Why then such disparity in this results?This study analyzed the competitiveness of Ethiopian textile sub-sector under AGOA using Michael Porter's (1990) "diamond model" as a theoretical framework. In particular, the study investigated and analyzed the positive and negative factors affecting the competitiveness of Ethiopian textile sub-sector and pinpoints suggestions for intervention that enhance the sub-sector's competitiveness. Fifteen respondents among those textile exporters under AGOA were selected and interviewed and secondary source of data were also used. The data collected were organized based on Porter's determinants of competitive advantage.The study result revealed, on the one hand, that the poor and fragile related and supporting industries, unsophisticated local demand and poor firm's strategy and structure are among factors that obstruct the competitiveness of Ethiopian textile subsector. On the other hand, a huge potential of factor endowments, duty free market access of AGOA, and the support of government are the positive factors that prompt the sub-sector's competitiveness. This result implies that the government should exert further effort to avoid the constraints and to take advantages of the potential of subsector. So the competitiveness of Ethiopian textile sub-sector can be enhanced through new or increased investment on advanced factors, this in turn could assist the in maintaining or enhancing the current export level, thereby increase the competitiveness potential.


A need exists for fast, accurate, and inexpensive identification of failed integrated circuits (ICs) on electronic circuit boards. Presently, testing of these boards is accomplished through the use of automatic test equipment (ATE) controlled by test program sets (TPS). The circuit board interfaces with the ATE through the use of a hardware device called an interface test adapter (ITA), which is developed in conjunction with the test program. Application of nanotechnology techniques into automatic test equipment area creates an opportunity to significantly reduce or entirely eliminate ATE and TPS costs associated with the maintenance of shop replaceable unit (SRU) circuit boards by designing a means for ICs to continuously test themselves during normal operation and to provide a visual indication that they have failed. This article describes original research and development in the use of nanotubebased chemical and electronic sensors as embedded test equipment within the architecture of integrated circuits (ICs) to detect failures that may affect IC reliability and performance. This R&D focuses on the monitoring of electromigration processes occurring within integrated circuits as well as electrical performance of the ICs to provide a reliable identification of failures.


Environmental, subsidence, and meteorological monitoring data were collected at and around the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS)(refer to Figure 1). These monitoring data include radiation exposure, air, groundwater,meteorology, vadose zone, subsidence, and biota data. Although some of these media (radiation exposure, air, and groundwater) are reported in detail in other Bechtel Nevada (BN) reports (Annual Site Environmental Report [ASER], the National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants [NESHAP] report, and the Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report), they are also summarized in this report to provide an overall evaluation of RWMS performance and environmental compliance. Direct radiation monitoring data indicate that exposure at and around the RWMSs is not above background levels. Air monitoring data indicate that tritium concentrations are slightly above background levels. Groundwater monitoring data indicate that the groundwater in the uppermost aquifer beneath the Area 5 RWMS has not been affected by the facility. Meteorological data indicate that 2002 was a dry year: rainfall totaled 26 mm (1.0 in) at the Area 3 RWMS and 38 mm (1.5 in) at the Area 5 RWMS. Vadose zone monitoring data indicate that 2002 rainfall infiltrated less than 30 cm (1 ft) before being returned to the atmosphere by evaporation. Soil-gas tritium monitoring data indicate slow subsurface migration, and tritium concentrations in biota were lower than in previous years. Special investigations conducted in 2002 included: a comparison between waste cover water contents measured by neutron probe and coring; and a comparison of four methods for measuring radon concentrations in air. All 2002 monitoring data indicate that the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs are performing within expectations of the model and parameter assumptions for the facility Performance Assessments (PAs).


A new ionic liquid sensitized sepctrophotometic method was proposed on the base of the Mo(Ⅵ)-Salicyl fluorone(SAF)-1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide(C16minBr) system.In the presence of 0.5 mol/L hydrochloric acid solution,the color reaction of Mo(Ⅵ) with salicyl fluorone(SAF) could be sensitized by adding the ionic liquid of C16minBr.The maximum absorption wavelength of the stationary ternary complex Mo(Ⅵ)-SAF-C16minBr was at 525 nm and the apparent molar absorption coefficient of the complex(e525 nm) was 1.242×105 L/(mol·cm).The accordance with Lambert-beer's law in the range of 0.01~0.50 μg/mL Mo(Ⅵ) was found.This developed method was used for the determination of Mo content peanut and soybean.The results were consistent with those from graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry.The recovery rates of Mo in peanut and soybean were in the range of 102%~107%.


Perhaps the most urgent responsibility of volcanologists today is the management of volcanic crises. This complex process, however, is one of the most difficult to convey to students in a classroom setting. We have designed a multi-week, cooperative learning activity for our introductory, undergraduate volcanology class, which culminates in the simulation of a volcanic monitoring crisis. We provide teams of students with regularly updated information about a volcano's increasing activity. The data are drawn from existing archives and consist of seismic, gas composition, deformation, and surficial variations, as well as eyewitness reports. Students must respond in real time to the volcano's changing conditions in a highly interactive, dynamic, and energetic experience. The exercise incorporates the development of skills including interpretation of volcanic data, design of hazard maps and alert-level schemes, analysis of rapidly changing databases, consideration of the human costs of scientific decisions, and management of multiple simultaneous tasks. We believe this activity creates an effective and exciting learning environment in which students have the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to a more realistic situation than is achieved in conventional classroom exercises. In so doing, we hope to develop students' critical thinking skills as well as to convey the challenges faced by volcanologists in hazards mitigation.


Pro-oxidant properties of indolone-N-oxides in relation to their antimalarial properties Indolone-N-oxides (INODs) generate radical intermediates by reduction which may initiate a fatal redox signal within parasitized erythrocytes. This reaction is not iron-dependent. INODs present physicoand bio-chemical properties which are different of those of existing antimalarial drugs to which the parasite has become resistant.


Objective:Sammarize the effect of disposable limb outside fixed belt after the congenital heart disease.Methods:Cases congenital heart disease after operation,intensive care period needs to restrain four limbs' children to divide into the observation group(104 cases) and the control group(100 cases),applies the disposable limb outside fixed belt and the ordinary cotton tape type fixed belt separately carries on the protection restraint to the children.Results:After the observation group children slide affects the treatment and the complication rate was lower than the control group obviously(P﹤0.01).Conclusion:The disposable limb outside fixed belt use effect obviously surpasses the ordinary cotton tape type limb outside fixed belt.


Some tobacco companies claim they are 'transforming' by adopting harm reduction goals or even seeking to achieve a 'smokefree' world. What characterises transformation and whether companies can or are transforming is unclear. Nevertheless, such claims are gaining traction. We critically investigated tobacco industry transformation by exploring the definition and criteria for evaluating transformation, and assessed whether transformation is occurring and feasible. Companies' transformation claims centre on increasing sales of new tobacco and nicotine products like e-cigarettes ('new products') with little attention to reducing sales of more hazardous smoked and oral products ('conventional products'). We define a transforming tobacco company as one demonstrating substantial, rapid and verifiable progress towards eliminating the production and sale of conventional tobacco products within 5 years in all markets where it operates. We found no evidence any tobacco company is meeting the three essential criteria of rapidly progressing towards eliminating conventional products, ceasing to obstruct effective tobacco control measures and taking action to minimise smoking uptake and disparities. While some companies are developing new product portfolios, their actions are more consistent with profit maximisation than eliminating conventional product use. This approach is best described as 'pseudo-transformation', designed to delay implementation of effective tobacco control policies. In addition, our analysis suggests replacing conventional products with new nicotine products is unlikely to be a viable long-term business model. Public health practitioners should not rely on tobacco industry claims but should lead the transformation debate, establish credible definitions and criteria, and monitor and assess whether transformation is occurring.


This paper outlines several recent applications at ANSYS on simulations of fire and HVAC using ANSYS CFX, and focuses on three: 1. Web-enabled CFD for HVAC and fire. 2. IFC interface. 3. Backdraft simulation. A limitation of space means that the material cannot be detailed. However, the paper provides a flavour of significant progress at ANSYS in the HVAC and safety spheres.


ABSTRACT The inability to access needed mental healthcare can be a challenge for individuals situated in various social environments and can be understood and predicted via multiple theoretical perspectives. This paper explores access to mental healthcare through the lenses of stigma theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by presenting central tenants of the theories and a brief review of empirical evidence in support of the individual theories. The combined TPB and stigma theory model merges self-stigma with the TPB construct of attitude and public stigma within the construct of subjective norms. A case example illustrates the application of the combined model in understanding barriers to mental health treatment. Discussion of the case study within the combined theoretical framework also acknowledges how culture within the social environment could have impacted mental health outcomes. Thus, it is necessary to intervene in areas of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and stigma to shape the social environment through policy, practice and research and to improve mental health.


Introduction: Slow and controlled embolization is a pre-surgical endovascular strategy for treatment of brain AVMs using Onyx® liquid embolic system (eV3, Inc.) We report our experience with the new detachable tip microcatheter for AVM embolization.
Methods: We reviewed our experience with use of the Apollo™ microcatheter (eV3, Inc.) in 7 embolizations in three patients. Case 1: A 62 yo man with intra-cerebral hemorrhage in the right parieto-occipital region was found having a 3.6 × 1.6 cm AVM. Major feeding vessels from right MCA cortical branches and minor from distal right ACA to the inferior aspect of the nidus were noted. A pre-nidal aneurysm was seen. The microcatheter tip safely detached in 1 of 2 occasions during the withdrawal process. Case 2: A 48 yo woman with left frontal intracerebral hemorrhage and underlying 3.3 x 1.8 cm AVM underwent a three pedicle embolization of feeders arising from the left MCA, ACA and left middle meningeal artery. The tip of the microcatheter safely detached in 1 of the 3 occasions during the withdrawal process. Case 3: A 76 yo man with left frontal lobar hemorrhage in the AVM with multiple arteriovenous fistulous connections and feeders from both vertebral arteries, occipital arteries, and left posterior cerebral artery draining into the left transverse, torcula and left sigmoid sinus.
Results: A total of 7 Apollo™ microcatheters were used in embolization of three AVMs with safe detachment of the tip in 3 instances. With an injection rate of 0.1 mL/min, the overall mean (±SD) injection time for Onyx was 20 ± 7 min. No limitations in accessing target arterial feeders, prolonged Onyx® injection times, and safe microcatheter disengagement was noted.
Conclusions: We demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of detachable tip microcatheters for embolization of brain AVMs to avoid catheter entrapment. Disclosure: Dr. Khan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Herial has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qureshi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sherr has nothing to disclose. Dr. Suri has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qureshi has nothing to disclose.


Arnold Bentley has written a valuable, interesting, and sensible book on some basic issues in music education. It is valuable because it deals with a number of fundamental questions, some of which have not been discussed much lately, if indeed they were ever examined thoroughly. For example, Bentley wades right into the issue of ability differences among students. Should all children receive the same musical education? Should the more interested and talented be offered opportunities to excel? Should children be tested so that they are aware of what they know and don't know?


The propagation of picosecond duration heat pulses in single wall carbon nanotubes has been investigated using Molecular Dynamics simulations. It is found that the picosecond heat pulse in (10,0) and (5,5) induces several waves that propagate at different propagation speeds. The leading waves move at the speed of sound corresponds to LA phonons, followed by waves moving at TW phonon modes. The heat energy content in the waves corresponding to LA phonon modes in (10,0) zigzag nanotubes is significantly larger than in (5,5) armchair nanotubes.


In liquid–solid adsorption chromatography (LSC) the column packing also serves as the stationary phase. In Tswett's original work the stationary phase was finely divided CaCO3, but modern columns employ porous 3–10 μm particles of silica or alumina. Because the stationary phase is polar, the mobile phase is usually a nonpolar or moderately polar solvent. Typical mobile phases include hexane, isooctane, and methylene chloride. The usual order of elution—from shorter to longer retention times—is


The study focused on the lecturers' awareness and utilization of blended learning for teaching educational courses in colleges of education in Sokoto State, Nigeria. This paper adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consisted of all lecturers in the Department of Education in two colleges of education in Sokoto State. One hundred and eight lecturers were used as the sample for this study. Two research questions guided the study. The instrument for this study was a questionnaire constructed based on a 4- point Likert scale called College Lecturers' Assessment Questionnaire (CLAQ) which was validated, and the reliability index was found to be 0.71 using Cronbach alpha. The data obtained was analyzed using frequency descriptive statistics to answer the research questions. The result shows that almost all the lecturers are Blended learning model. The study recommends that seminar and workshop should be organized for the lecturers to further update their knowledge on the benefits of blended learning for teaching.


Motorized spindle is one of the key components of CNC machine tools, and its degradation can be monitored in real time to predict the future reliable running time of motorized spindle, It is of great significance to reduce maintenance support cost and improve equipment stability to provide support for maintenance decision. In this paper, based on the comprehensive health index of motorized spindle and reliable running time forecast method, first of all, through the health indicator as a measure of motorized spindle health status characteristic parameters and characteristic parameters for single and multiple health indicator formula respectively, many characteristic parameters by using the method of sequence relations act and the entropy weight method to achieve the unity of the subjective and objective. Then, after the health factor modification, the comprehensive health indicator formula is obtained. Finally, an exponential model based on time series analysis is established to fit the variation trend of comprehensive health indicator of motorized spindle with time, and the expression of health indicator model is obtained. An example is given to verify the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method, and a comparative analysis is made with the reliability of references. The final results show that the proposed method in this paper is effective and reasonable. Can achieve the purpose of reliable running time estimation of motorized spindle.


Radio localization is a key enabling technology for situational awareness but conventional techniques based on elaborate ray-tracing approaches naturally struggle in rich scattering environments (inside rooms, metro stations, planes, vessels, …). Here, we discuss a completely different approach to radio localization: instead of attempting to understand rich scattering wave propagation in terms of rays, we harness the overwhelming complexity because it assigns unique wave finger-prints to each object position. We interpret wave propagation as a physical encoder of the sought-after localization information in multiplexed measurements and detail artificial neural network (ANN) architectures suitable to decode these measurements for a single or multiple, discrete or continuous, sought-after location variable(s). Capitalizing on recent physics-driven experiments, we clarify that the proposed technique is very robust to measurement noise and capable of achieving deeply sub-wavelength localization precision. The discussed technique can be implemented with multiplexing across spatial, spectral or configurational degrees of freedom, corresponding to sensor networks, broadband measurements and RIS-programmable environments, respectively. Specifically, multiplexing across a fixed random sequence of RIS configurations enables single-frequency localization with a single node. Finally, we propose an end-to-end vision of the technique in which programmable RIS elements take the role of physical weights in a hybrid analog-digital ANN. Thereby, relevant information for the localization task can be discriminated from irrelevant information already in the measurement process, enabling substantial latency improvements.


Fruit bat (Pteropodidae) is one of the mammals that is common in environments and widely distributed from subtropical to tropical Asia. Whereas the information on phylogeography of fruit bat Cynopterus brachyotis is still limited. From this situation, this paper aims to assess the phylogeography, codon usage, and DNA barcoding of C. brachyotis populations in Indonesia. Phylogeography was developed based on 657 bp of the mtDNA COI gene for all bat individuals and Bayesian inference to construct the phylogeny tree. The C. brachyotis populations in Indonesia are different to the populations from the Asia's continent. The results show that C. brachyotis populations in Indonesia were divided into 3 distinct clades. A putative geographical barrier, recent, and rapid range expansion in the Sunda lineage associated with changes in sea levels, possibly coupled with related ecological differences, may have driven population divergence, allopatric, and sympatric speciation. Codon usage and high frequency were also contributing to the dispersal of C. brachyotis forming a distinct population.


Objective To study the clinical effect of two thyroidectomy in the treatment of thyroid nodule. Methods 75 patients with thyroid nodule,who were received and cured in our hospital from June 2013 to October 2014,were selected and were randomly divided into observation group of 38 cases,and control group of 37 cases according to random number table.To observe and compare the incision length,the intraoperative blood loss,the operation time,the hospitalization time,and the complication rate and so on between observation group which was treated with thyroid nodule operation under cavity mirror,and control group which was treated with traditional open surgery. Results The total effective rate of patients in observation group(94.74%) was obviously higher than which in control group(83.78%),the indexes of incision length,intraoperative blood loss,operation time,hospitalization time in observation group were lower than which in control group,the complication rate in observation group(10.52%) were lower than which in control group(27.03%),the differences were statically significant(P 0.05). Conclusion Thyroid nodule operation under cavity mirror could obviously improve the clinical effect,has the characteristic of less intraoperative blood loss,shorter operation time and hospitalization time,lower complication rate.


Governing bodies as well as pharmaceutical companies are paying great attention on stability of drug products to enable delivery of the products to the final consumer in good quality. Packaging plays a major role in providing stability to the pharmaceutical products. This article discusses factors influencing stability of drugs and the techniques of packaging to maintain stability of the products.

Keywords:

pharmaceutical companies;
stability;
packaging;
pharmaceutical products;
drug products


In [7] C. Park has generalized the term quasi-normed space, i.e. has given the term quasi 2-normed space. Further, C. Park has proven few properties of quasi 2-norm, in [3] M. Kir and M. Acikgoz have given the procedure for completing the quasi 2normed space and in [1], [4] and [6] are proven few inequalities about quasi 2-normed spaces. In this paper are proven several properties of Cauchy and convergent sequences in a quasi 2-normed space. Some of them are analogy to the properties of such sequences in n-normed spaces ([5], [8]).


Objective To investigate the distribution and drug tolerance of pathogenic vibrios in patients with diarrhea in summer and autumn seasons.Methods Pathogenic vibrios were isolated by six kinds of culture mediums and nineteen kinds of biochemical idendification tubes,and the vibrios isolated were tested for sensitivity to fourteen kinds of antibiotics by K B method.Results 187 strains of pathogenic vibrios were isolated out,general isolation rate was 19.4%,138 strains of vibrio bacteria of which were main parahemolytieus vibrios,44 strains of aeromonas of which were main mild aeromonas and 5 strains of which were shigella aeromonas.The result of drug sensitive test showed that the vibrio's drug fast rates to penicillin drugs,cephalosporin Ⅰ and sulfa drugs were higher;the antibacterial activities of quinotone,cephalosporin Ⅲ,aztreonam and imipenem were more powerful.Conclusion Most of vibriobacteria could be isolated by cultured with various culture mediums and various biochemical idendification tubes.The cinrofloxacin and imipenem should be chosen firstly in treating diarrhea caused by pathogenic vibrios and aztreonam and ceftazidime could be chosen secondly,but ampicillin and cefazolin should not be chosen because the drug fast rates of which were higher.


The central topic of this book is the theorem of Hurwitz and Radon concerning composition formulas for sums of squares, first proved in the 1920's. Techniques from algebra and topology are used to generalize that theorem in several directions. The text includes worked examples and many exercises which develop still more variations of the central topic. The main audience is people who have had some graduate courses in abstract algebra, but many sections of the book are accessible to anyone with some training in linear algebra. Several major topics in this book will be of interest to students of topology and geometry. The author has attempted to make the presentation as clear and as elementary as possible.


By using literature,surveys,mathematical statistics methods and so on,the authors study the exploiting and using of PE resources' opening to society in 42 colleges and universities in Henan Province.Study results showed that:the exploiting and using of PE resources' opening to society in colleges and universities is less,the total rate is less than 50%;two opening modes of PE stadium resources are paid and unpaid,both have their advantages and disadvantages,which should be effectively integrated in order to maximize economic and social benefits.The PE resources' opening to society mainly influenced by internal,external and physical education human resources and other factors.We should full use of the PE resources advantages to open to society,it has important meaning to carry the nationwide body-building plan,develop the PE industry and implement the spirit of the central documents.


This notice announces the availability of HCFA funding under cooperative agreements and grants for projects which will focus on major issues in the financing and delivery of health care under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This notice contains information about the subject areas for cooperative agreements and grants that will be given priority, project requirements, application procedures, and other pertinent information.


This paper studies the jurisprudential basis of the bareboat charterparty right about the meaning of "no registration no can act against a third party", and points out the wrong understanding on the article 6 of the ship registration rule of PRC.


A control strategy for distributed generation power system modules, changing the line frequency or voltage according to a predetermined pattern such that the PV inverter to modify its power output, to avoid overcharging the battery. Electric power system when an islanding operation mode, AC load demand may be lower than the available PV array power, resulting in overcharging the battery. To avoid this, the inverter performs mixing pattern generation algorithm, linearly, exponentially, or by any mathematical function or lookup table, or changing the line voltage frequency. PV inverter performs pattern detection algorithms, detects the line frequency linear, exponential, or any mathematical function or look-up table changes. In response, a photovoltaic inverter to modify their power output until the elimination of the battery overcharge conditions. Can change line frequency / voltage in the anti-islanding limited to avoid premature destruction of the power system, it is not necessary to the island, connected to the grid or generator is connected in any mode of operation and provided additional device level.


Negotiation is a dynamic process in which negotiators change their strategies in response to each other. We believe this mutual adaptation is best conceptualized as an emergent process and is a critical determinant of negotiators' abilities to identify mutually beneficial solutions. We argue that the process of negotiation and the ability to create value is influenced by the alignment of strategies at two levels, inter-individual (sequences) and negotiation-wide (phases), and the congruence of negotiators' goals.


A 47-year-old woman was admitted with flu-like symptoms and dyspnoea, needing admission to intensive care. Having tested positive for H1N1 virus on nasal swab, she received a course of oseltamivir.

Two days later, while still being ventilated, she developed ST elevation in inferolateral leads on ECG (panel A) with raised troponin I of 95 μg/l (normal <0.07). Due to her …


The study of renormalization of Yang-Mills fields in the light-front gauge has always been a delicate subject in that divergent {\em non-local} terms arise from the calculations of Feynman diagrams. In this short paper we show that this happened because of a deficiency in the gauge fixing procedure that results in an incorrect propagator and propose a cure for it by considering the {\em correct} propagator for the gauge potential. We explicitly show that the use of our correct propagator in the light-front leads to a vacuum polarization tensor at the one-loop level that is free of non-local terms.


Soil erosion and sustainable use map of sloping cultivated land is a special map of showing comprehensively the status of soil erosion of every sloping cultivated land unit and its sustainable use in the northeast mountain region of Yunnan province.The basic contents shown in this map are sloping cultivated land types,soil types,topographical slope classes,the grades of soil erosion intensity,the classes of sustainable use degree,and the rational use types and measures. Taking newly developed soil loss equation of sloping cultivated land in the northeast mountain region of Yunnan province as a basis,and using MAP GIS,the map was compiled.The compilation of this map provided scientific basis for controlling soil erosion of sloping cultivated land and its rational utilization in the region.


Attention utility is the hedonic pleasure or pain derived purely from paying attention to information. Using data on brokerage account logins by individual investors, we show that individuals devote disproportionate attention to already-known positive information about the performance of individual stocks within their portfolios. This aversion to paying attention to unfavorable information, through its effect on logins, has consequences for trading activity; it reduces trading after recent losses and increases trading after recent gains. Attention utility is distinct from models of belief-based utility and information aversion (in which information not sought is not fully known), and implies that the pleasure and pain of attending to known information may be important for individual behavior.


This study investigated the effect of 25% silver nitrate (AgNO3) and 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish with functionalized tri-calcium phosphate (fTCP) on a Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) biofilm and dentine caries lesion. Demineralised dentine specimens were treated with 25% AgNO3 and 5% NaF + fTCP (Group 1), 25% AgNO3 and 5% NaF (Group 2), 25% AgNO3 (Group 3), or water (Group 4). The specimens were subjected to a S. mutans biofilm challenge after treatment. The biofilm was then studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and colony forming units (CFU). The specimens were assessed by micro-computed tomography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SEM and CLSM revealed less biofilm in Groups 1 to 3. The log10 CFU of Groups 1 to 4 were 4.5 ± 0.7, 4.4 ± 0.9, 4.4 ± 0.9, and 6.7 ± 1.0, respectively (Groups 1, 2, 3 < 4, p < 0.001). The lesion depths of Groups 1 to 4 were 212.6 ± 20.1 µm, 280.8 ± 51.6 µm, 402.5 ± 61.7 µm, and 497.4 ± 67.2 µm, respectively (Groups 1 < 2 < 3 < 4, p < 0.001). XRD demonstrated silver chloride formation in Groups 1, 2, and 3. FTIR found the amide I: HPO42− values of the four groups were 0.22 ± 0.05, 0.25 ± 0.05, 0.41 ± 0.12, and 0.64 ± 0.14, respectively (Groups 1, 2 < 3 < 4; p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study revealed that AgNO3 and NaF + fTCP reduced the damage of dentine caries by cariogenic biofilm.


Abstract This paper describes the procedures for design of supports and stabilization measures in the roadways. The procedures are based on the system developed in Ostrava-Karvina coal basin in Czech Republic. The calculation of load bearing capacity of roadway supports contains the period of roadway construction and mining in the vicinities, based on the size of the natural rock arch. The loading of supports during mining comes from a stress wave in the rock mass in the forefront of coalface and the caving area of mined-out panel. The input data for the calculation method are deduced according to in-situ measurements of convergence and displacement in the roadways.


While inhalation of ozone is known to cause a variety of health effects, the reactions at a molecular level that lead to these effects are not well understood. One potential path is the reaction of ozone with the unsaturated fatty acid components of pulmonary surfactant at the air-water interface in the lung to form secondary ozonides. These have been proposed to decompose to free radicals, which can then initiate the well-known inflammatory response. We report here the first kinetic studies of the thermal decomposition of the cis and trans secondary ozonides of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), a phospholipid found in significant quantities in lung surfactant. The ozonides were synthesized by reaction of O3 with POPC adsorbed on a glass surface, and their thermal decomposition kinetics were followed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) over the temperature range from 50°C to 106°C in either methanol or 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane. The Arrhenius parameters for the thermal decomposition in methanol are A = 10(6.7±0.3) s-1 and E(a) = 19.6 ± 0.6 kcal mol-1 for the cis ozonide, and A = 10(8.7±0.6) s-1 and E(a) = 19.8 ± 1.0 kcal mol-1 for the trans ozonide. In 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, the parameters are A = 10(8.3±2.1) s-1 and E(a) = 18.4 ± 3.4 kcal mol-1 for the cis ozonide, and A = 10(9.3±3.2) s-1 and E(a) = 20.2 ± 5.2 kcal mol-1 for the trans ozonide (all errors cited are ±2σ). Within experimental error, there is no difference in the kinetics of decomposition in the two solvents. However, both the activation energy and the preexponential factor for the decomposition of the phospholipid ozonides are significantly lower than those for decomposition of the long-chain alkene ozonide 1-octene ozonide, determined to be E(a) = 26.7 ± 3.2 kcal mol-1 and A = 10(12.7±1.9) s-1. The latter reaction has been proposed to be initiated by scission of the O-O bond, followed by decomposition of the peroxy biradical to generate free radicals. The kinetics for the decomposition of the POPC ozonides in solution are similar to those of simple alkene ozonides in the gas phase, where a concerted mechanism involving simultaneous intramolecular hydrogen transfer and O-O bond cleavage has been proposed. The only high-molecular-weight major product of the POPC ozonide decomposition identified using liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) was the lipid acid 1-palmitoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, which was observed as a product in both solvents. The mechanism and implications for the toxicology of inhaled ozone are discussed.


The latest move by the Reagan administration in the campaign against what it calls international terrorists and state-sponsored terrorism represents potentially one of the most anti-Arab initiatives US officials have recently devised. In drafting this new legislation, the administration has ignored its own Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) figures, showing a decline in terrorist incidents in the US; concealed a major terrorist bombing attempt at the US Congress by an Israeli citizen; and overridden objections to the terms of the new legislation by leading officials in the FBI and Congress. Following the October 1983 attack on the US Marine barracks in Beirut, the administration tried to divert public unhappiness with administration policy in Lebanon to condemnation of international terrorists in general, and to Libya, Syria and Iran in particular as states sponsoring terrorist attacks. The Defense Department's commission of inquiry into the Beirut attack concluded in December that "international terrorist acts endemic to the Middle East are indicative of an alarming world-wide phenomenon that poses an increasing threat to US personnel and facilities," and recommended an "active national policy which seeks to deter attack or reduce its effectiveness."


A novel example of the self-assembling capabilities of semifluorinated n-alkanes is presented:  nanoscale periodic structures were revealed in mixed Langmuir−Blodgett films of a semifluorinated n-alkane with a polystyrene−poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer by atomic force microscopy. The surface structures, resembling honeycombs with a hump at the center, have a periodicity of ∼40 nm. The same qualitative morphological features were found in all mixed films, independently of the polymer grafting density. Evidence suggests these structures arise from the organization of the semifluorinated alkane molecules segregated to the surface of the polymer layer.


Studies in Nigeria on the demand for money had often centred around finding a stable function using variables such as income, interest rate, inflation, exchange rate or foreign interest rate. This study considers the impact of debt (external sector variable) on demand for money. In particular, the debt service ratio has been shown empirically to influence demand for money. Our model, estimated with debt service taken into account, was found to be very stable. Hence, on the basis of this empirical finding, it is recommended that debt-service be considered an appropriate policy tool of monetary control. The two measures of exchange rate, parallel and official, showed no significant difference in the two models the study relied on, but model I was found to encompass model 2.


Calcium gadolinium aluminate (CaGdAlO<inf>4</inf>, shortly CALGO) is an attractive laser host material for doping with rare-earth ions. It belongs to the tetragonal class (sp. gr. I4/mmm) and exhibits a structure disorder (a random distribution of Ca2+ and Gd3+ cations over the same lattice sites). Still, CALGO features high thermal conductivity and appealing thermo-optical properties. The disordered nature of the host matrix determines a significant inhomogeneous spectral broadening for the dopant ions. Thulium (Tm3+) doped CALGO was applied for femtosecond pulse generation at <tex>$2\ \upmu\mathrm{m}$</tex> [1]. Recently, there is a great interest to another emission of Tm3+ ions at <tex>$2.3-2.5\ \upmu\mathrm{m}$</tex> according to the 3H<inf>4</inf> → 3H<inf>5</inf> transition, Fig. 1(a). The main constraint for ultrashort pulse generation from Tm-lasers at these wavelengths consists of the lack of broadband-emitting materials. In the present work, we explore the potential of Tm:CALGO for laser operation at <tex>$2.3\ \upmu\mathrm{m}$</tex>, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge.


Flat plate floor system is more economical and adaptable than
in case of the structure of Bearing wall or Beam, and most of
today's Flat slab structures have rectangular grid column layout.
The diversity of the functional requirement of building design
often needs irregular column layout, but it still remains in no
 practical use for want of theoretical research.
This paper is to anallize the Flat Plate structure of irregular
column layout by the finite element method, after selecting the
Flat Plate structure of irregular column layout in a triangle,
hexagon, and the quadrangl of a basic pattern, and changing each
 periphery ratio to =1.0 - 2.0, and to examine the stress behaviour
 by comparing with elasticity in case of rectangular grid column
 layout, and plotting each case.


The objective of this paper is twofold. First, the development of the trade patterns of Singapore and particularly between Singapore and its South-East Asian partners will be outlined and interpreted against a backdrop of relevant trade policy measures, for example in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Second, a simple model of the gravity type is applied in order to establish and quantify the role of various trade determinants. Despite the fact that Singapore has strived at being a 'global city', it remains rather heavily biased towards East Asia as far as foreign trade is concerned. The role of ASEAN in particular is strong, even if the role of entrepot trade tends to exaggerate the degree of integration between the economies of Singapore and ASEAN. It also seems clear that the latter, as an organization, has not contributed much to the development of trade relations between its members. Rather the closeness and the liberalization of these economies during the last 15 years or so appear to have been decisive. It is interesting to note that the newer members of ASEAN seem to have been integrated quickly in Singapore's economic network. Copyright 2004 East Asian Economic Association..


At harvest season, crops are often harvested using various methods at different times. Mapping and monitoring of the patterns of croplands during the harvest period provide information for farmers to help guide the harvest practices that are time critical and to support early warning of threats to food security. This study discusses the feasibility of high-frequency (C/X) polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) for the discrimination of crop patterns during harvest. The polarimetric signals gathered from a farmland area during harvest in Inner Mongolia, China, have been evaluated to investigate the properties of different harvest patterns by using the fully polarimetric Radarsat-2 and dual-pol TerraSAR-X images. A set of polarimetric parameters were derived from the datasets to interpret the radar signatures. The statistics show the sensitivity of the polarimetric parameters to the properties of the harvest patterns. The crop type, biomass, water content held by plants, crop swath direction, and crop state make a large contribution to the fluctuation of the polarimetric scattering characteristics. By exploring the polarimetric characteristics across different harvest patterns, a new method of mapping the harvest state is proposed by utilizing the decision tree algorithm. In the proposed method, GIS data are exploited to avoid the confusion of similar harvest patterns for different species. The harvest pattern mapping results by using the multipolarimetric data acquired over the study area in different years, demonstrate the feasibility and potential of polarimetric data of short wavelength for harvest pattern monitoring during harvest.


Among the large family of spin-crossover materials, binuclear systems play an important role due to their specific molecular configurations, allowing the presence of multi-step transitions and elastic frustration. Although this issue benefited from a significant number of spin-based theories, there is almost no elastic description of the spin transition phenomenon in binuclear systems. To overcome this deficiency, in this work we develop the first elastic modeling of thermal properties of binuclear spin-crossover solids. At this end, we investigated a finite spin-crossover open chain constituted of elastically coupled binuclear (A = B) blocks, ⋯A=B−A=B−A=B⋯, in which the considered equivalent A and B sites may occupy two configurations, namely low-spin (LS) and high-spin (HS) states. The sites of the binuclear unit interact via an intramolecular spring and couple to the neighboring binuclear units via other springs. The model also includes the change of length inside and between the binuclear units subsequent to the spin state changes. When injecting an elastic frustration inside the binuclear unit in the LS state, competing interactions between the intra- and the inter-binuclear couplings emerge. The latter shows that according to the intra- and inter-binuclear elastic constants and the strength of the frustration, multi-step transitions are derived, for which a specific self-organization of type (HS = HS)-(LS-LS)-(HS = HS)⋯ is revealed and discussed. Finally, we have also studied the relaxation of the metastable photoinduced HS states at low temperature, in which two relaxation regimes with transient self-organized states were identified when monitoring the elastic frustration rate or the ratio of intra- and intermolecular elastic interactions. These behaviors are reminiscent of the thermal dependence of the order parameters of the system. The present model opens several possibilities of extensions of elastic frustrations acting in polynuclear spin-crossover systems, which may lead to other types of spin-state self-organizations and relaxation dynamics.


Pressure-induced phase transitions of trigonal, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and α-monoclinic selenium (Se), which consist of 3 1 helical chain, Se 6 , Se 7 , and Se 8 ring molecules, respectively, have been re-examined by an X-ray diffraction method. All allotropes transform to Se-IV (incommensurate monoclinic form) at about 30 GPa through a mixture phase of Se-II (monoclinic form, puckered layer structure) and Se-II' (tetragonal form consisting of 4 1 and 4 3 helical chain molecules). The ratio of Se-II to Se-II' in the mixture phase increases with the increase in density of starting material. Trigonal form (Se-I) transforms to Se-I', which is isostructural with Se-I, at 3 GPa, where an intramolecular covalent bond length decreases abruptly by about 0.8%.


This paper addresses the perception, control, and trajectory planning for an aerial platform to identify and land on a moving car at 15 km/hr. The hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), equipped with onboard sensors and a computer, detects the car using a monocular camera and predicts the car future movement using a nonlinear motion model. While following the car, the UAV lands on its roof, and it attaches itself using magnetic legs. The proposed system is fully autonomous from takeoff to landing. Numerous field tests were conducted throughout the year‐long development and preparations for the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) 2017 competition, for which the system was designed. We propose a novel control system in which a model predictive controller is used in real time to generate a reference trajectory for the UAV, which are then tracked by the nonlinear feedback controller. This combination allows to track predictions of the car motion with minimal position error. The evaluation presents three successful autonomous landings during the MBZIRC 2017, where our system achieved the fastest landing among all competing teams.


The paper deals with the problem of quality control for solder joints of nozzles of chambers in liquid rocket engines (LRE). The nozzle of LRE chamber is a responsible product, operating in conditions of high pressure and temperature gradient, having a complex geometric shape and consisting of a large number of milled channels. The analysis of existing methods for solving the problem of quality control of solder joints in LRE nozzles of chambers is carried out. The necessity of the development of an automated laser-ultrasonic control method of solder joints in LRE nozzles of chambers is proved. The analysis of existing automated ultrasonic means of control and the factors affecting control accuracy is carried out. The prototype hardware has been designed for the automated laser ultrasonic nondestructive quality testing of solder joints of LRE nozzles. For software control of the sensor movement mechanism for scanning the inner surface of LRE chamber nozzles and its positioning, the usage of three-layer neural network is proposed. An adaptive algorithm of automated quality control of solder joints has been worked out. A method for the integrated assessment of the quality of solder joints of LRE chambers is suggested. In the process of research methodology was developed for automated measurement of geometrical characteristics of defects and quality control of solder joints in LRE nozzles of chambers. The approbation of the developed method was carried out on three-coordinate automated stand.


Visible-light- and bromoacetic acid-promoted α,α-dibromination was presented in a sustainable manner, which enables the formation of the brominated quaternary carbon precursor in minutes. The devel...


Shrimp is a type of crustacean and is included in the marine fishery commoditywhich has important economic value and is currently hunted by fishermen and iscommonly found in coastal waters. The purpose of this study was to determine the ShrimpProduction and Seasonal Catching Pattern in the Waters of Pangkep Regency. Itsusefulness is as a foundation material in the use of shrimp resources in the waters ofPangkep Regency. Data collected consists of primary data and secondary data. Primarydata is obtained by direct observation in the field through a field survey method (visualrecall) to portray the conditions of crab resources. While secondary data was collectedfrom the relevant agencies according to the attributes that will be reviewed and recordeddata from collecting fishermen in the coastal areas and small islands of PangkepRegency. Shrimp production from trammel net and mini trawl catches in the waters of theSigeri District of Pangkep Regency in 2015 consisted of 706 tons of white shrimp anddogol shrimp 4,481 tons, while in 2016 706 tons of white shrimp and dogol shrimp 4,481tons. Analysis of the percentage of shrimp fishing season index in the waters of PangkepRegency, occurred in January, February, March and April. The highest percentage offishing season index occurs in January each year.


In this paper, models of internal and external optical feedback effect in fiber linear lasers have been presented. The effects of optical feedback could be equivalent to the variation of laser cavity loss, and the output expressions of two models are deduced. According to the simulation results, the optical feedback system in fiber linear lasers has the same phase sensitivity as the traditional self-mixing effect in semiconductor lasers. The experimental results show a good agreement with the simulated results. Comparing the output of internal structure with that of external structure, we can conclude that the internal optical feedback system can get higher output gain and stripe depth, which reveals that the internal feedback structure has better sensing characteristics


Abstract The relative feeding rates and preferences of a hunting-spider assemblage inhabiting southern Spanish cotton fields for two major cotton pests, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisdubal) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were analyzed under laboratory conditions. First, a no-choice feeding test was used to determine relative feeding rates for hunting-spider families and species, offering a fixed number of 10 neonate larvae of H. armigera or S. littoralis and observing predation after 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h. In a second test, Drosophila melanogaster, a very palatable alternative prey, was used to determine the degree of preference for cotton pest larvae. The mean number of first-instar lepidoptera larvae consumed by hunting spiders after 24 h was 8.57±0.25. As expected, spiders showed no preference for either of the two cotton pest species H. armigera and S. littoralis over the other. Results also showed that cursorial spiders of the families Miturigidae (represented here by Cheiracanthium pelasgicum) and Philodromidae consumed significantly higher percentages of larvae than crab spiders belonging to the Thomisidae family after 2 h and 24 h, respectively. In the prey choice test, Cheiracantium pelasgicum displayed a strong preference for cotton pest larvae while Thomisidae and Oxyopidae showed no significant preference. In addition, as the attack sequence progressed, Ch. pelasgicum showed a clear tendency towards the alternation of prey while Thomisidae, and more irregularly Oxyopidae, maintained their preference for D. melanogaster. These findings confirmed both the considerable potential value of some cursorial spiders (e.g. Ch. pelasgicum) in the biological control of lepidopteran cotton pests and the relatively low impact of other hunting spiders, e.g. Thomisidae, on pests of this kind.


This paper presents initial findings from research exploring the influence of community organizing and gender relations on access to water in Western Kenya. Improved access to water promises significant progress in the lives of many of Africa's rural and urban poor, but few rural communities in Africa have been able to self-organize to significantly improve their access to water. This research seeks to illuminate the social conditions, rights and practices that may hinder or facilitate community organization to achieve better access to water. Two particularly intriguing findings emerge: 1) amongst a wide range of social conditions that hinder the founding of water projects is a hint of male anxiety about how women may use time saved from water collection, and 2) in one community where the obstacles to organizing were overcome, and a successful piped water system installed women, were able to use their time saved from water collection to enhance household tea production and establish a group that has generated new income from casual labour and the production and sale of new crops.


This paper documents the importance of nonbanks in retail payments in the United States and in 15 European countries and analyses the implications of the importance and multiple roles played by nonbanks on retail payment risks. It shows that nonbanks play multiple roles along the whole payment processing chain of five main payment instruments (card payments, electronic cheques, credit transfers, direct debits and e-money and other pre-funded/stored value instruments). The importance of nonbanks is assessed as prominent in the United States across all the considered payment instruments, and high and growing in Europe where however differences among the various countries and payments classes persist. In Europe the importance of nonbanks is expected to grow in the future, driven by industry and regulatory developments. The paper argues that nonbanks' presence has shifted the locus of risks in retail payments toward a higher relevance of operational risk in its various forms (malfunctioning, data security, and data protection), as well as higher relevance of fraud risk and system-wide impact of disruptions at key providers concentrating processing for important payment market segments. Banks have become increasingly dependent on nonbank service providers, and the adoption of new technologies in payments processing, particularly as regards communication networks, while on the one hand supporting mitigation of credit and liquidity risks connected to payments authorisation, increases the number of possible points along the processing chain that may be vulnerable to fraud and illicit use. The paper reviews the main regulatory safeguards in place, and concludes that there may be a need to reconsider some of them in view of the growing role of nonbanks and of the global reach of risks in the electronic era. * Terri Bradford, Fumiko Hayashi, Christian Hung, Richard J. Sullivan, Zhu Wang, and Stuart E. Weiner are members of the Payments System Research function of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City or the Federal Reserve System. † Simonetta Rosati is with the European Central Bank Oversight Division. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ECB or the Eurosystem.


Abstract : The affect of attention on the level of cortical activity in human subjects was investigated by use of a novel paradigm involving the rapid and simultaneous presentation of two sequences of tones having different sets of frequencies. Measurements of the magnetic field of both the N100 and P200 components originating in auditory cortex showed enhancement for the attended sequence in comparison with the ignored sequence. This was observed whether the sequences were presented to different ears or the same ear. Thus pitch alone is a sufficient clue for attention. These results are also in general agreement with filter theories that postulate the attention of ignored stimuli prior to conscious perception.


The objective of this experiment was to demonstrate electrical power generation using a small free-piston Stirling engine and linear alternator in conjunction with a parabolic solar collector. A test bed collector, formerly used at the JPL Table Mountain Observatory, was renovated and used to obtain practical experience and to determine test receiver performance. The collector was mounted on a two-axis tracker, with a cold water calorimeter mounted on the collector to measure its efficiency, while a separate, independently tracking radiometer was used to measure solar insolation. The solar receiver was designed to absorb energy from the collector, then transfer the resulting thermal energy to the Stirling engine. Successful testing of receiver/collector assembly yielded valuable inputs for design of the Stirling engine heater head.


We present a detailed study of the six-dimensional phase space of the electron beam produced by the Cornell Energy Recovery Linac Photoinjector, a high-brightness, high repetition rate (1.3 GHz) DC photoemission source designed to drive a hard x-ray energy recovery linac (ERL). A complete simulation model of the injector has been constructed, verified by measurement, and optimized. Both the horizontal and vertical 2D transverse phase spaces, as well as the time-resolved (sliced) horizontal phase space, were simulated and directly measured at the end of the injector for 19 pC and 77 pC bunches at roughly 8 MeV. The resulting 90% normalized transverse emittances for 19 (77) pC/bunch were 0.23±0.02 (0.51±0.04) μm in the horizontal plane, and 0.14±0.01 (0.29±0.02) μm in the vertical plane, respectively. These emittances were measured with a corresponding bunch length of 2.1±0.1 (3.0±0.2) ps, respectively. In each case, the rms momentum spread was determined to be on the order of 10−3. Excellent overall agreement between measurement and simulation has been demonstrated.


A new desiccation theory is developed that provides a rational framework for the consolidation and desiccation analysis of soft fine-grained waste soils. The theory includes four consecutive segments that correspond chronologically to the phases that a soft soil layer undergoes in the field after deposition: consolidation under one-dimensional compression; desiccation under one-dimensional shrinkage; propagation of vertical cracks and tensile stress release; and desiccation under three-dimensional shrinkage. A general form of the finite strain governing equation of the overall consolidation and desiccation process is formulated. It includes the cracking function and the nonlinear constitutive relations. The experimentally obtained consolidation and desiccation characteristics for soft china clay, which are needed for the overall analysis of a given field problem, are presented. The predictions of this theory for the response of a hypothetical soft china clay layer undergoing self-weight consolidation, see...


Background and Objective: Regional differences exist in the prevalence of birth defects. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and related factors with birth defects in Zanjan, Iran. Material and Methods: This descriptive analytic study was performed in Zanjan province during 2015–2016. Data included 41265 child births, which were extracted from the Iranian Mother and Newborn (IMAN) web system report of the Zanjan province hospitals (country electronic childbirth register system). Data was analyzed using descriptive, uni-variate, and multi-variate logistic regression tests. Results: The prevalence of birth defects in Zanjan was 0.7%. Gestational age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.917, 95% CI: 0.869–0.967, P =0.002) and birth weight (OR=0.999, 95% CI: 0.999 – 1.000, P less-than 0.001) reduced the chance of birth defects, while consanguineous marriage of parents (OR: 1.745, CI 95%: 1.298–2.347, P less-than 0.001), and mothers doctoral degree increased its prevalence (OR: 3.928, 95% CI: 1.058–14.584, P =0.041). Conclusion: It seems that premarital counseling, screening tests before and during pregnancy, and education, especially for being pregnant in appropriate age and conditions, could be the suitable approaches for reducing the birth defects


The progressive collapse of the building structures due to accidents has become a hot research topic of civil engineering all around the world. The researches and designs on progressive collapse are based on accurately simulation for the failure process of whole structural systems. However, due to the complicated material and geometric nonlinearity and large computational workload in collapse simulation for a real reinforced concrete (RC) structure, normal finite element (FE) analysis with solid elements are not feasible in collapse researches. Hence, a fiber beam model is proposed in this work to simulate the collapse of RC frame. The fiber beam model is firstly verified with a collapse test of a planar RC frame. And then following the design process proposed in DoD 2005, the collapse processes of two typical Chinese 8-story RC frames with and without slabs respectively are simulated and compared. The influence of slabs on the progressive collapse behavior of structures is studied and the result proofs that the slabs can greatly improve the progressive collapse resistance of structures.


Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GD-OES) is a well established technique for Compositional Depth Profiling (CDP), very useful for in-depth elemental analysis of surface layers from 10 ...


The Coilia nasus(Clupeiformes,Engraulidae) is a diadromous species widely distribute in China river estuary as a main commercial fish and high in production.To clarify daily-age structure,hatch period,growth characteristics and stay period of Coilia nasus larvae and juveniles in the surf zone of Yangtze River estuary,a total of 9358 individuals of Coilia nasus larvae and juveniles were collected monthly by a seine net(1×4m,mesh aperture 1mm) at 13 stations in the surf zone of Yangtze River estuary from May to October 2007,respectively.594 individuals(body length 3.0—30.5 mm) were measured randomly by month on samples,and sagittal otolith were removed from specimens and fixed on a microscope side face up with epoxy resin.Rings outside the nucleus of the sagitta were counted with a light microscope at ×400,and the mean of two replicate count was used as the estimated ring number.Daily ages were estimated from the ring numbers add 1.Hatch dates were estimated from the daily ages and collection dates.The daily-age of Coilia nasus ranged from 7 to 34 days,mainly including 13 to 18 days,which accounting for 50.1% of the total abundance.Body length ranged widely from June to August,and smaller individuals were rare appeared in September and October.Body length(L,mm) and daily-age(D,days) were represented by a linear model whose fitted expression was:L = 0.73D + 5.09,R2=0.74.Back-calculated hatching dates and the spawning season of Coilia nasus in the Yangtze River estuary was spread over a long period.Hatching began on 23 May 2007 and continued until 4 October with a prominent peak from late May to early August,but little was observed after mid-August,indicating that after mid-August only a few eggs were hatched.The Coilia nasus larvae and juveniles began to appear in the surf zone at about 7 days after hatching,and then remained continually in the surf zone for about 23 days.


Reactions of the Mn(I) inverted sandwich complex (η6-C7H8){MnAr*-3,5-iPr2}2 (Ar*-3,5-iPr2 = C6H-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-iPr3)2-3,5-iPr2) with bulky terphenyl azides afforded the dimeric Mn(II) amido/aryl complex {CH2C6H2-2-(C6H3-2-(N(H)MnAr*-3,5-iPr2)-3-(C6H2-2,4,6-Me3))-3,5-Me2}2 (1) and the binuclear Mn(II) complex (μ,η1:η1-NH-C6H3-2-(C6H2-3,5-tBu2)-6-(C6H3-3,5-tBu2)){MnAr*-3,5-iPr2}2 (2). Complex 1 arises via methyl hydrogen abstraction by the nitrogen atom and dimerization via radical coupling with C−C bond formation. Complex 2 was formed by phenyl hydrogen abstraction by the imido nitrogen atom, followed by incorporation of a further MnAr*-3,5-iPr2 unit. In addition, complex 2 features two different manganese environments and is also the first structurally characterized heteroleptic two-coordinate diaryl Mn(II) species.


Quadrature component analysis (QCA) is an effective method for analyzing the interferograms if the phase shifts are uniformly distributed in the [0, 2π] range. However, it is hard to meet this requirement in practical applications, so a parameter named the non-orthogonal degree (NOD) is proposed to indicate the degree when the phase shifts are not well distributed. We analyze the relation between the parameter of NOD and the accuracy of the QCA algorithm by numerical simulation. By using the parameter of NOD, the relation between the distribution of the phase shift and the accuracy of the QCA algorithm is obtained. The relation is discussed and verified by numerical simulations and experiments.


A technique for predicting an upper bound on the rate at which single-event upsets due to ionizing radiation occur in semiconducting memory cells is described. The upper bound on the upset rate, which depends on the high-energy particle environment in Earth orbit and accelerator cross section data, is given by the product of an upper bound linear energy transfer spectrum I/sub infinity / and the mean cross section of the memory cell. Plots of the spectrum I/sub infinity / are given for low inclination and polar orbits. An alternative expression for the exact upset rate is also presented. Both methods rely only on experimentally obtained cross section data and are valid for sensitive bit regions having arbitrary shape. >


In our continuos effort to make Burma's Mergui Archipelago more popular and more accessible to a broader audience, we set up a new website http://tauchen-in-burma.de. German speaking readers will find translated versions of all necessary information about Mergui Archipelago Burma, as well as a blog completely in german.


Summary In this paper possibilities of precise quantity sur veying and work planning in mechanized technologies for regenerative shaping the water courses were presented. Survey ne eds of melioration objects for newest technologies were described. Method of creating spatial map of ditches based on RTK GPS survey, and rating of ditch destruction bas ed on this map were presented. Use of spatial maps for planning an d cost calculation of maintenance works were descri bed.


Urban stormwater wetlands have been widely embraced by the community as a beneficial part of the stormwater infrastructure. This is in part due to their perceived benefits in terms of improving general ecosystem health, as well as the improvement in public amenity due to the presence of a semi-natural water body. The vegetation that is a dominant feature of these shallow ephemeral and perennial wetland systems plays an important role in the treatment of the stormwater within the system. Typically, artificial wetlands include a variety of vegetation types including those that are emergent, floating leaved attached, free floating and submerged. Some of the most important functions of the vegetation within the wetland are the result of physical processes such as the filtration of particles, reduction in turbulence, stabilisation of sediments, and provision of increased surface area for biofilm growth on stems, leaves, roots and rhizomes.


Crime plays a major role in the well-being of a community. It can in uence where people live, where businesses locate and how local economies perform. Identifying causal e ects, however, is di cult for a number of reasons. Still, considerable recent literature exists examining many aspects of crime. Part two of our Economic Brief series examines studies on racial disparities in policing, crime reporting and the e ectiveness of training programs.


It is held that The Color Purple,an epistolary novel by Alice Walker,an American black woman writer,records the heroine Celie's spiritual journey from numbness to awareness from a special point of view,explores the existential environment of black women and attempts to find a possible way out for them.In The Color Purple, black women broaden their physical space,as the heroines finally attains "rooms of their own";in terms of the spiritual space,black women break away from the white Christian and seek the new womanist liberation;in terms of social space,black women,though under the twofold oppression of racial and sexual discriminations,still strive for the improvement of their social status.


The username and password authentication design has been a long standing institution in the wide set of interactive, user-based technologies. More recently, the emergence and growth of mobile technologies has prompted the need for an evolution in authentication avenues that have increased touch-input friendliness for users, while maintaining a similar level of security that passwords have oft provided. Our research evaluates three graphical authentications designs via simple implementations on the Android platform, volunteer feedback on basic usage of the implementations, and conceptual analysis of the security offerings for each, all while weighting pertinent aspects against the common password authentication approach.


This paper focus on the output sliding mode fault tolerant control (OSMFTC) technique for a class of nonlinear system with actuator fault and external disturbance. Precisely, fist, an unknown input observer (UIO) is designed through a descriptor system, which is consist of state and actuator fault. Then, the OSMFTC scheme is constructed to guarantee the stability of the system. Furthermore, the $H_{\infty}$ performance is introduced for the feasibility and robustness of the method. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a numerical example.


In June 2009, a white rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) calf was photographed in a group of at least 50 dolphins in the southern Gulf of Guinea, 95 nauticol miles off the Gabon coast (01°45'S 007°29'E), West Africa. Reports of unusually pigmented cetaceans are infrequent and this record represents the first of an all-white rough-toothed dolphin. Furthermore, there is little documentation concerning rough-toothed dolphins and this note contributes to the knowledge of this species in tropical West African waters


This article specifically addresses the practices of consumption of www by children. It is known that children interact with media texts from their culture and their customs and they are also producers of messages, assigning new meanings and using them in different ways. Therefore, this article highlights the consumption practices of children with respect to www and shows how they participate in this space.


In this paper we unpack some of the critical issues whensupporting teachers in the appropriate and effective use of the affordances provided by ICT in mathematics classrooms. Our findings suggest t ...


We showed that venous distension induced by saline infusion into veins of an arterially occluded arm evokes reflex increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and blood pressure (BP). We have also observed that negative pressure on an occluded limb increases MSNA. We speculate that the responses with these two models are evoked through a similar mechanism. To examine this question, BP, heart rate, and MSNA were assessed in 11 young healthy subjects, when 100 mmHg negative pressure was applied on an arterially occluded limb (termed "NPOL") for 2 min. Limb occlusion without suction was used as a control. In a separate visit, saline (5% arm volume) was infused into veins of the arterially occluded arm. Both NPOL and the saline infusion into the occluded arm significantly increased MSNA and BP. Both MSNA (R=0.643 for arm, R=0.664 for leg) and BP (R=0.786 for arm, R=0.522 for leg) responses during NPOL were significantly correlated with the responses with the saline infusion into the arm. The MSNA and BP responses during saline infusion were not correlated with the responses during limb occlusion. These observations suggest that the mechanisms responsible for sympathetic activation during limb suction are similar to those seen during infusion induced venous distension. Thus, the NPOL model can be employed to study the venous distension reflex.


The value of fisheries used as human food is increasing day by day. Aquaculture has also been influenced by organic demand and gained importance all over the world. Turkey has less polluted water sources compared to the countries that intensively apply the traditional farming methods and the countries where industrialization has occurred in advanced levels. This provides a great opportunity for organic production. It is clear that, in Turkey, many water sources and many facilities are structurally suitable for organic aquaculture. In the organic fish production method, the health status, welfare and wastes of the fish products are taken into account. The aim is to sell healthier, high-quality and reliable fish to consumers. The prohibition of the use of harmful chemical compounds in the production and processing of fish is an indication that these fish are of good quality and safety. Organic aquaculture production is a very important opportunity for the sustainable development of fisheries and should be supported for its development. In this study current situation and general application in organic aquaculture in Turkey have been investigated.


While teaching a foreign language, the teacher developes several skills. One of the most important ones is the skill to negotiate between two cultures. This Unit helps teachers develop and test the skill of Intercultural Competence.


Par Pond is a thermally enriched monomictic southeastern lake which receives heated effluent from a production nuclear reactor. Fish populations in the lake have lesions of epizooty from which Aeromonas spp. are readily isolated. Distribution and population densities of Aeromonas in the water column were measured along an oxygen and temperature gradient. Greater population densities of Aeromonas occurred below the oxygen chemocline when the lake was stratified. Survival of A. hydrophila under in situ conditions in both epilimnetic and hypolimnetic waters was determined using polycarbonate membrane diffusion chambers, during two separate reactor operating conditions. Survival levels of pure cultures of A. hydrophila corresponded to the distribution patterns of the naturally occurring Aeromonas-like populations. The greater survival of A. hydrophila below the chemocline when the reactor was in full operation suggests that the fish populations may be exposed to Aeromonas for a longer period of time than when the reactor is not operating.


Management system development in a manufacturing company is very complex, this is because the business conditions in the company is very flexible, so it requires the concept of developing a flexible and reusable system. The concept of enterprise architecture is now entering a level that can be considered very tough to apply to manufacturing companies that business looks very volatile. In addition to highly competitive business issues, another problem is the very high investment infrastructure that requires an infrastructure service that expenses the cost in accordance with its use. The concept of enterprise architecture using SOA is a method that can accommodate the development of existing systems in manufacturing companies based on service oriented. Then, viewed from the side of the production system concept, generally the automotive company uses the TPS concept, namely the Toyota Production system, this concept in general is to develop products based on continuous improvement, so that the production process will continue to evolve to adjust customer needs. to support sustainable improvement, the concept of developing a flexible and effective system is needed. This SOA architecture can be used to support such production system concepts, so companies can continue to develop the production process without being hindered by the development of a


Krog struggles in her volume Body Bereft with the problem of the aging body and with the perceived inability of language to describe such a process. She states the dilemma of getting older by means of the following question: "how and with what / does one acquire the vocabulary of age?" (2006a:28). Since Krog not only redefines body identity through thematic presentation, but especially also through language presentation, specifically by means of the many instances of syntactic decay, it can be argued that language, specifically syntax, is a repository of identity for the aging speaker. In this article the focus is on Krog's writing of decay/aging with reference to the syntactic presentation of texts and also the way in which the aging of the body is configured thematically.


In this second of three reports exploring the incorporation of human geography theory within political ecology I focus on regions. I review how regions are theorized in human geography and conclude that political ecologists have used the concept inconsistently. I suggest that three trajectories in recent studies offer possibilities for a more rigorous theorization of regions within political ecology: (1) work employing theorizations of the social production of space and the co-constitution of nature, space, and society; (2) engagements with the political economy of natural resources literature, especially resource conflict; and (3) work linking historical materialist-oriented 'new' regional geography with discourse theory.


Mergers of spinning black holes can give recoil velocities from gravitational radiation up to several thousand km s−1. A recoiling supermassive black hole in an AGN retains the inner part of its accretion disk. Marginally bound material rejoining the disk around the moving black hole releases a large amount of energy in shocks in a short time, leading to a flare in thermal soft X-rays with a luminosity approaching the Eddington limit. Reprocessing of the X-rays by the infalling material gives strong optical and ultraviolet emission lines with a distinctive spectrum. Despite the short lifetime of the flare (~104 yr), as many as 102 flares may be in play at the present time in QSOs at redshifts ~1-3. These flares provide a means to identify high-velocity recoils.


The aims of this study were to investigate the improvement of student achievement after given DI model. This research used quasi experimental research. The data collection technique was include test methods for data for student achievement. The data was analyzed using n-gain analyzed (before-after analyzed) . Based on these results it can be concluded there is improvement of student achievement after given DI model. The result of the normalized gain score analysis obtained 2 students (6.25%) got high gain score, 14 students (43,75%) got medium gain score and 16 student (50%) got low gain score and overall average gain score students of 0.26 are categorized as low.


One important aspect of measuring terrestrial photovoltaic array electrical performance is the choice of a reference solar spectrum. Sensitivity to this choice is caused by the narrow spectral response of photovoltaic materials and the associated dependency of certain annual energy output calculational procedures. The accuracy of energy output calculations based on commonly used reference spectra is examined for a variety of array types and site locations in the US using tapes of hourly solar irradiance and temperature measurements in conjunction with solar spectrum models. Conclusions are drawn relative to the accuracy associated with the commonly used air mass 1.5 reference spectrum, and alternative reference spectra with improved accuracy are illustrated.


In order to clarify the effect of C/Ti atom ratios(χ) on the deformation behavior of TiCχ at high temperature, single crystals having a wide range of χ, from 0.56 to 0.96, were deformed by compression test in a temperature range of 1183~2273 K and in a strain rate range of 1.9 × 10 −4 ~5 .9× 10 −3 s −1 . Before testing, TiCχ single crystals were grown by the FZ method in a He atmosphere of 0.3 MPa. The concentrations of combined carbon were determined by chemical analysis and the lattice parameters by the X-ray powder diffraction technique. It was found that the high temperature deformation behavior observed is the χ-less dependent type, including the work softening phenomenon, the critical resolved shear stress, the transition temperature where the deformation mechanism changes, the stress exponent of strain rate and activation energy for deformation. The shape of stress-strain curves of TiC0.96, TiC0.85 and TiC0.56 is seen to be less dependent on χ, the work hardening rate after the softening is slightly higher in TiC0.96 than in TiC0.85 and TiC0.56. As χ decreases the work softening becomes less evident and the transition temperature where the work softening disappears, shifts to a lower temperature. The τc decreases monotonously with decreasing χ in a range of χ from 0.86 to 0.96. The transition temperature where the deformation mechanism changes shifts to a lower temperature as χ decreases. The activation energy for deformation in the low temperature region also decreased monotonously as χ decreased. The deformation in this temperature region is thought to be governed by the Peierls mechanism.