Abstract Online classes hold the potential to expand college access to Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and other students of color who must be supported to diversify the STEM workforce. Research shows that fostering belonging is key to the academic success of students from minoritized groups. However, online classes often lack interpersonal interactions and are often left out of research about the positive impacts of belonging. This paper summarizes an equity-focused STEM grant project that produced an openly-shared online professional development program, the Humanizing Online STEM Academy. Through the Academy, STEM faculty are introduced to a model of humanized online teaching that centers belonging as a way to address equity gaps. Participant survey responses present opportunities for future research about belonging in online courses.


This is goal <Creative Thinking and Expression) which is effective form 2012 academic years first term for writing capability elevation of final...


Abstract Since the founding of the UN, the protection of human rights has been a national and international challenge. In international human rights covenants, State Parties firstly commit themselves to respecting human rights in their respective constitutional area and to protecting and possibly incorporating them into the relevant constitution, but, secondly, they also submit to an international control. National protection is usually organized by different institutions (Constitutional Court, "Human Rights Commissioner of the Government", etc.), but also accompanied by critical NGOs and the national civil public. International protection is on the one hand implemented by a number of international organizations and institutions (Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN Human Rights Commissioner, monitoring bodies to individual contracts, regional and international human rights courts), but on the other hand is accompanied by a critical, now regionally and internationally operating public. This includes a number of permanent NGOs, but also ad hoc groups, tribunals and the various media (print, TV, internet) and anonymous campaigns on the Internet and the social networks. This paper examines the functions and tasks of such concomitant national and international public spheres and tries to assess their importance for the protection of human rights.


micronutrient losses in soils in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the effects on human nutrition. We conducted a synthesis of existing datasets and peer-reviewed scientific literature to i) improve the understanding of the relationships between soil quality, management and crop quality, and ii) evaluate the potential profitability of applying secondary nutrients and micronutrients to staple crops in SSA.


1Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China 2Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms and School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA 3Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China 4I.M. System Group, NOAA/NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center, College Park, MD 20740, USA 5Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA 6Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie (KIT), IMK-IFU, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 7Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China


In query-by-humming system, minimizing the impact introduced by the pitch tracking errors and humming errors is always a difficult problem. In this paper, we propose a two-layer distance scheme instead of the global DTW distance in traditional QBH system, which is motivated by the people's perception of humming. The local distance measure tries to find the correct part of humming, which is robust to the hummed error and the noise. Also, the approach to combine the local and global distance measure is proposed. The experiment of our QBH system on the mobile phone channel shows that the performance is greatly improved.


Presidential debates come in all shapes and sizes. The presence and length of opening statements and closing remarks, the opportunity and length of rebuttal, the nature of the questioner, and other factors have created a bewildering variety of formats. However, most scholars agree that these confrontations are not "really" debates but merely "joint press conferences." This observation raises the question of whether presidential debates should be more like "real" debates. The paper proposes six modifications in political debates based on four important principles (campaign discourse should inform voters; it should address topics that matter to voters; it should encourage candidates to distinguish themselves from competitors; and campaign discourse should facilitate "cost-benefit" analysis by voters by emphasizing "clash"). These improvements are designed to improve the ability of this important form of communication to better inform voters. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.


The relations between the Governments of Arias Navarro and the Churchare a slightly well-known historical phenomenon although, since it is made clearin this article, they were it sufficiently intense like practically to light a new agreement the Church-State. In it the Church-State could have been decisive the numerous years of tension since was finishing Council Vatican II. Nevertheless,the renewal or update of the Concordat of 1953, and therefore of the union the Church-State, they were not finally possible due to the decisive intervention of the Cardinal Tarancon and of his principal collaborators inside the Episcopal Spanish Conference. From there would be opened a new stage that would culminate in a definitive separation the Church-State.


Based on the investigations of the vegetation and the collection of samples,the flora composition of Tieshan Temple Nature Protection Area,Xuyi were analyzed.The floristic charateristics were concluded.In addition,the paper deals with the analysis of the wild plant resources thoroughly.According to their usage,they can be divided into 6 groups,which are fiber plant,starch glucide plants,oil fragrance plants,medicine plants,wild vegetable plants and ornamental plants.In addition,the suggestion for exploitation and conservation are presented.


This article examines the need for replication studies in nonprofit research. By elaborating a framework for replication studies, it contributes to an ongoing discussion about the appropriateness of various research methods. To exemplify this framework, the authors conduct a replication study on a specific topic relevant for nonprofit organizations in a globalized world, namely, media publicity for nonprofit organizations. The application reveals similar patterns for nonprofit organizations in the cities of Zurich, Switzerland, and New York, the United States, across a replication and original study, respectively.


An antimicrobial lock solution containing minocycline in combination with EDTA (M-EDTA) reduces the rate of catheter-related bacteremia (CRB) in hemodialysis patients, according to the results of a study published online in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.


Five different modified starch grades, all converted by an oxidation process, were used in the preparation of clay-based coating colours. One was used without further modification and represented an oxidized grade, while the others represented two different types of starch derivatives (one was a cationically modified starch and three were hydrophobically modified grades). The immobilization solids content, the viscosity and the relaxation modulus of the coating colour were affected by the type of starch. The lowest immobilization solids content and highest viscosity were observed for the colours containing the cationically modified starch, while the lowest viscosities were observed for the colours containing the hydrophobically modified starches. At 58 % solids content had, however, a colour containing the cationically modified starch roughly the same relaxation modulus as the corresponding colour containing the oxidized starch. A colour containing the cationically modified starch at 57 % solids content had a relaxation modulus similar to that of the hydrophobically modified starches at 58 % solids content. The porosity of the dry coating layers and the shrinkage of the coatings during consolidation also depended on the type of starch used. At a given starch content, the cationically modified starch gave a higher porosity in the dry layer and indications of a lower degree of shrinkage than did the oxidized starch. The results obtained are interpreted in terms of the effect of the starch modification on the polymer-pigment interaction.


Healthcare services are heterogeneous due to the different healthcare professionals providing them. Thus, patients often move from one healthcare facility to another, both within and outside the country in search of improved care. During the process of a patient's mobility, patient's health records need to be shared among the concerned healthcare professionals. In Namibia, sharing of data during patient's mobility continues to be a challenge across healthcare facilities as there are no electronic health records in place for patient's records management. Patients moving between healthcare facilities manually carry their medical files to the facilities. Consequently, the manual process of sharing patient's data negatively impacts services delivery efficiency and effectiveness as data is not always timely, medical files get misplaced or stolen. Due to these challenges, there is a need for healthcare facilities in Namibia to implement electronic health records as an approach to manage and mitigate data sharing challenges during patient's mobility. It is worth noting that data protection and patients' consent is a necessity for data sharing and thus the need for legal frameworks supporting patient's privacy and confidentiality. A qualitative study was conducted to find out how electronic health records can be used to enable patient's data sharing across healthcare facilities. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and interpretively analysed. Based on the findings a model to guide the realisation of electronic health records for patient's data sharing is developed.


Stochastic decoding algorithms for non-binary LDPC codes have good performance,but high computational complexity in probability generation.In this paper,we propose a simple method for fast generation of the probability,especially in high-order modulation schemes.The algorithm calculates probability using the quantized Euclidean distances between constellation points and the received signal points.It can avoid the probability calculation for all constellation points and the arithmetic of powers.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has low complexity and incurs less performance degradation,which is advantageous in hardware implementation.


In the 1950s, psychedelic drugs were the subject of extensive psychiatric research in the United States. By 1960, they had been found to be non-addictive, to have remarkable safety profiles, and to potentially be able to treat a range of psychological conditions. However, in 1968, the possession of psychedelics was criminalized by the US federal government. Consequently, medical research has been stifled, and today the possession and distribution of psychedelics are punished more severely than for more dangerous recreational drugs such as methamphetamine. Most scholars argue that psychedelics were criminalized due to a "moral panic" in the late 1960s. However, this theory overlooks several important aspects of the political process that led to psychedelic criminalization. This essay takes an alternative stance. First, early 20th century temperance advocates instilled an anti-drug moral framework into the American cultural consciousness. Then, in the early 1960s, safety concerns and professional biases led most mainstream psychiatrists to reject the therapeutic use of psychedelics. These factors interacted to cause both a moral panic and severe criminalization, but the moral panic did not itself cause criminalization.


The choice of a work career is one of the most important events in a person's life course and typically involves secondary socialization and identification with role models. This paper is concerned with the crucial role of my PhD dissertation supervisor at McMaster University, Dr. Billy Shaffir, in my choice of an academic career. I highlight and celebrate how, through the guidance of Dr. Shaffir, I experienced "immersive socialization" into field research and happily converted from an intended business career to an academic career.


WHEN ladybird beetles are numerous on bean plots and have laid many egg batches, cannibalism may be an important cause of mortality of the immature stages ; larvae dispersing from the eggs in search of food encounter and eat unhatched eggs and newly-hatched larvae clinging to the egg-shells before they are old enough to disperse (Banks, 1955). Even when coccinellid populations are low there is a certain degree of mortality during the egg stage, for some eggs are apparently infertile and some unhatched larvae may be destroyed by larvae already hatched from the same batch. Hawkes (1920) observed that some eggs of Adalia 2-pnctata hatched earlier than others and that approximately a quarter of the larvae were eaten before dispersal. Smee (1922) also noted that newly-emerged larvae attacked unhatched eggs and that some eggs were infertile. Johnssen (1930) recorded that, on the average, 40 per cent. of the eggs of 9 batches of Goccinella 7-puwtata and only 6 per cent. of eggs of 9 batches of A. 2punctata did not hatch, but he did not express the mortality as infertile eggs and those in which larvae had developed. He noted that larvae after hatching frequently ate the empty egg-shells, infertile eggs and larvae which for some reason did not emerge. The mortality in the egg stage in Coccinellidae is discussed here with reference to three common species of bean plots, Coccinella V-punctatu L., Aclalia 2-punctata (L.), and Propylea 14-punctata (L.).


SUMMARY Recent epidemiological observations from field studies indicated that sheep selected for resistance to digestive nematodes were more infected than susceptible ones with the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis. The present study was undertaken to verify these informations and to explore the possible associated mechanisms. After a whole grazing season and an anthelmintic drench, two groups of 6 rams belonging respectively to 2 flocks with different resistance status to parasitic nematodes were experimentally infected with a mixture of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Teladorsagia circumcincta infective larvae. The worm populations in the gastrointestinal tract, the Oestrus ovis populations in the nasal cavities and the intensity of inflammatory reactions (number of mast cells, eosinophils and globule leucocytes) in the respiratory and digestive mucosae were compared in the 2 groups. No differences were found in the worm numbers and in the cell populations in the digestive tract and this lack of difference was due to acquisition of immunity to nematodes in both lines of rams at the end of the grazing season. In contrast, the mean number of O. ovis larvae was higher in the resistant group compared to the susceptible one (6.3 vs 2.8) and the number of eosinophils was significantly higher in the septum and ethmoid in this resistant group. These results tend to confirm the higher susceptibility to O. ovis in animals selected for resistance to digestive nematodes. They also suggest that the intensity of inflammation in the nasal mucosae might be positively related to the intensity of infection with O. ovis.


This article takes a historical look at self-regulation activities, attempts at outside regu- lation in the United States and other countries, the more recent unifying of global coaching organi- zations in standards/ethics, and opinions on the beneits and dificulties of becoming a profession. Self-regulation is explored as a current trend in the development of the coaching profession.


This study investigated whether a virtually present co‐actor (VPC) can evoke social facilitation effect in visual search tasks. The conducted experiment employed a 2 (target presence: present, absent) × 2 (task difficulty: easy, difficult) × 3 (social presence: alone, VPC, physically present co‐actor, PPC) within‐subject design. Twelve male university students participated in the experiment. Results showed that a VPC evoked social facilitation effect in visual search tasks, that is, shortened (lengthened) response time when easy (difficult) tasks were completed. Intensities of social facilitation effect induced by VPC and PPC showed similar strengths. However, both VPC and PPC presented no significant influence on response accuracy. These findings provide guidance in designing work organization modes for a team or a group performing tasks of different difficulty levels.


Due to increasing demand for electricity, the exploit of renewable energy resources has become essential. Despite the small amount of electricity produced by small hydropower plants, have such investments many other advantages. Before starting a project of small hydro power plant, it is vital to analyze quality input data of selected location for using water potential. In assessment of hydroenergetic potential of the Reka river in Topolc, the point of old object revitalization has been determined, in which water potential has already been exploited. We start with analysis and evaluation of daily flow measurements from gauging station in Trnovo. Topographical terrain data were collected with the geodetic location recordings. The aim of such an assessment is primarly to get the annual amount of electricity produced and the viability of investment. Calculations of produced power and electricity were compared with calculations from company Siapro, which were obtained from the owner of the object Mr. Barbis. The comparison was made for double regulated Kaplan turbine, which, given the circumstances, is not proven to be optimal choice. Economic viability has been proven by analyzing cash flow, with the results of net present value (NPV) for a statutory discount rate (DS) and internal rate of return (IRR). The obtained results are a good basis for developing a conceptual design, or for further project activities, if the owner will decide to build small hydropower plant.


It is planned to have the remaining waste in 241-C-106 removed from the tank so that it can be closed. Since the tank is nearly empty, it has little potential to generate or store flammable gas. This document evaluates the potential to achieve a flammable atmosphere in the tank. Neither steady state nor gas release event conditions can render the tank C-106 headspace flammable.


IEEE 802.16(Broadband Wireless MAN) is fast growing wireless broadband networks of the world. WiMAX is one of the key technology cof IEEE 802.16 standard .In this paper we provide an overview of WiMAX.


Consistent evaluation is an important prerequisite for quality assurance and continuous further development in the area of DaF/DaZ. With a focus on virtual learning, this volume deals with the evaluation of the Inverted Classroom Model for the training of teachers of German as a foreign language and specifically with language learning apps. A second focus is on the evaluation of exams and tests. In addition to the medical language examination and the qualification tests of future teachers, the focus here is on examiner qualifications. The critical discussion will present suggestions for solutions as well as new research approaches. This volume does justice to the claim that theory and practice are closely intertwined. Christina Maria Ersch studied German and Scandinavian Studies in Göttingen and German as a foreign language in Mainz, where she is a research assistant. She has been teaching German as a foreign language for several years, is a certified telc examiner and conducts advanced training courses in neurodidactics and action-oriented learning. Her research interests are, among other things, in general didactics with a focus on competence-oriented, digital learning and in intercultural communication.


Conservation policy requires reliable estimates of extinction rates that consider the interactions between population size (N) and habitat area. Current approaches to estimating extinction from the endemics–area relationship (EAR) estimate only the minimum number of species that can become extinct because of habitat loss (instantaneous extinction). EARs will therefore underestimate extinction if small populations and/or habitat area (SPHA) commit species to future extinction. We demonstrate this mathematically, by assuming species require a minimum population size of two individuals, and by randomly sampling habitat loss within stem‐mapped forest plots. We then develop a general framework for incorporating SPHA effects into EARs that builds upon recent advances introducing N into estimates of extinction. By accounting for effects that modify N, our framework explains extinction debt and reduces the uncertainty associated with future estimates of extinction through carefully qualifying the spatial and temporal context of predictions.


Single photon detection applied to optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry is a promising approach due to the low level of luminescence light and the known statistical behavior of single photon events. Time resolved detection allows to apply a variety of different and independent data analysis methods. Furthermore, using amplitude modulated stimulation impresses time- and frequency information into the OSL light and therefore allows for additional means of analysis. Considering the impressed frequency information, data analysis by using Fourier transform algorithms or other digital filters can be used for separating the OSL signal from unwanted light or events generated by other phenomena. This potentially lowers the detection limits of low dose measurements and might improve the reproducibility and stability of obtained data. In this work, an OSL system based on a single photon detector, a fast and accurate stimulation unit and an FPGA is presented. Different analysis algorithms which are applied to the single photon data are discussed.


The First Tourism Graduate Students Conference was held in Gokceada, Canakkale, Turkey on October 26-28. Gokceada, the conference site, is an island in the Aegean Sea of natural beauties and scenery. It is the largest island and furthest west-point of Turkey. The island, previously known as Imbros windy island in Greek, offers a blend of Turkish and Greek culture and architecture consisting of churches, mosques, monasteries, old Greek houses, and modern architecture. The conference, jointly organized by Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University and Amtolia attracted more than 50 students and faculty from 23 universities in Turkey. Free accommodations and shuttle service between hotels and conference site were provided by Gokceada Vocational School. The primary objective of the conference was to provide a forum for graduate students and faculty to receive feedback on thesis and dissertations, exchange ideas, and collaborate on possible research projects. The conference had 14 concurrent and diverse sessions, including graduate student presentation sessions, seminar sessions, faculty and practitioner panel sessions, and special sessions. The Conference was officially opened by welcome speeches of Ridvan Yurtseven (Director of Gokceada Vocational School), Nazmi Kozak (Anadolu University), and Ramazan Aydin (Rector of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University) on October 26, 2002. The welcome session was followed by a faculty panel session on "Tourism as a Scientific Research Field. " The panelists, Nilgul Karadeniz (Assoc. Prof, Ankara University), Bahtisen Kavak (Hacettepe University), Ayhan Gokdeniz (Balikesir University), and Mehmet Sabuncu (Ankara University), discussed the importance of interdisciplinary research in the tourism field based on their diverse backgrounds such as geography, landscape architecture, and marketing. The first student session consisted of four presentations on economic development, tourism integration, and tourism demand. The afternoon special session had two speakers, Ridvan Yurtseven (Assist. Prof. and Director of Gokceada Vocational School) and George Ksinos (Writer, Greece), who presented the potential of cultural tourism regarding Gokceada


Nepal is the poorest country in the world. A member of the least developed countries (LDCs) for many years. According to the UNDP human development reports 2014, Nepal has 145 positions out of the 187 in terms of human development (Global South Magazine 2019).Nearly 75 % of the population living in village ―over 90 % population live in rural‖ In urban areas, the poverty incidence is almost 23% which is significantly lower than in rural areas. Poverty is a common issue for developing countries. Nepal is the poorest country in South Asian. The National per capita income of Nepal is near $1002 (UNDP 2018) More than 71% of the population relies on agriculture, and 15 % of that population lives below the poverty line (PPP 1.90 a day). Nepal, a developing south Asian country, is challenging the problem to overcome poverty. However, 24.3 % of the population lives in multidimensional (note1) poverty (UNDP 2018).


We have studied the laterally seeded regrowth of polycrystalline Si film over SiO2 islands through the use of a very narrow strip electron beam of a high‐energy density. A 0.5‐μm polycrystalline Si film was deposited over the entire surface of wafers on which SiO2 islands, 30–100 μm wide and 2 cm long, had been formed. A stationary electron beam 60 μm×3 cm was focused on the wafer surface with an average energy density of 0.7 MW/cm2 at 10 kV. The wafers were irradiated for 0.1–2 ms while moving at a speed of up to 500 cm/s past the beam. A transmission electron microscopic analysis showed that the laterally seeded regrowth of Si films over SiO2 islands were realized successfully and that the regrowth film which covered the SiO2 islands resulted in a quasi‐single‐crystal film with small‐angle boundaries. The average speed of the front of the lateral regrowth over the SiO2 was estimated to be about 200 cm/s.


A class of periodic solutions of nonlinear evolution equations is expressed as products and rational expressions of theta/elliptic functions. Examples of equations treated include a coupled system of nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equations, the (2+1) dimensional sine Gordon system and the Sasa-Satsuma equation. Coupled modified Korteweg-de Vries and NLS systems show that these product periodic waves can be expanded as an infinite sum of solitary waves arising from the coupling. Brief consideration of discrete evolution equations show similar trends but some quantitative difference with the continuous counterpart.


A series of novel substituted fulleropyrrolidines have been synthesized and characterized. A correlation between the substituent structure and the spreading behavior at the air−water interface has been proposed through the systematic study of their Langmuir films. This evidences that only some derivatives are suitable to form true monolayers at the air-water interface, because of the strong π−π intermolecular attractive forces among C60 spheres. The factors that influence the nature of the floating layers on the water subphase have been identified. At last, tuneable parameters for the preparation of real and stable monolayers of fullerene derivatives have been proposed.


Until to now, the biological processes have been studied using theoretical concepts borrowed from the field of physics. The present paper suggests that it will be advantageous for biology to deal with its own theoretical basis regarding the description of several dynamic processes related to recovery from unfavorable influences as well as changes of life quality during the lifespan. It is impossible to deduce the macro-characteristics of a living system from the processes on molecular level because of overwhelming mathematical difficulties. There will be a great advantage if the state of a living system could be assessed via prompt and simple measurement. Here new variables: vitality, optimal vitality, biological energy, and synergy are introduced as integral phenomenological characteristics, which could uniquely determine the status of biological objects. An idea for new science field, biodynamics, is proposed. Vitality could be measured via new device. Such one does not exist for the present but in principle, it could be constructed in the future. A simple mathematical model for the decrease of the value of optimal vitality during the lifespan is proposed. A procedure for determination of the kinetic parameters aging factor (q) and aging correction (α) is suggested. It is shown that the increase of α (due to healthy lifestyle and training) retards the senescence process and ensures longevity. This paper is heuristic at this stage but it could stimulate the scientific thought. Key-words: Vitality, Optimal vitality, Sinergy, Biodynamics, Lifespan, Aging, Aging correction, Longevity, Mathematical model


A skew-product decomposition of the n-dimensional (n > 2) Brownian excursion law from a hyperplane is obtained. This is related to a Kolmogorov-type test for excursions from hyperplanes. Several results concerning existence, uniqueness and form of Brownian excursion laws from sufficiently "flat" surfaces are given. Some of these theorems are potential-theoretic in spirit. An extension of the results concerning excursion laws to an exit system in a Lipschitz domain is supplied.


Meeting Date: May 14, 2008 1515 NW 167th St., Bldg. 5, Suite 200 Miami Gardens, Florida 33169 Next Regular Meeting Date: May 28, 2008 Phone: (305) 622-8000 Fax: (305) 622-8001 Website: www.miamigardens-fl.gov Time: 7:00 p.m. Mayor Shirley Gibson Vice Mayor Barbara Watson Councilman Aaron Campbell Jr. Councilman Andre Williams Councilman Melvin L. Bratton Councilwoman Sharon Pritchett Councilman Oliver G. Gilbert III City Manager Danny O. Crew City Attorney Sonja K. Dickens, Esq. City Clerk Ronetta Taylor, CMC


Galactosemia is an inborn error of metabolism in which the enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase is deficient. The accumulation of galactose-1-phosphate in tissues exposed to galactose has been postulated as the mechanism responsible for the toxic manifestations of the disease. Previous reports suggested that the accumulation of galactose-1-phosphate within the red blood cell interferes with oxygen consumption, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis or breakdown, and the maintenance of other phosphate intermediates of glycolysis. The in vitro studies of Pennington and Prankerd were performed using erythrocytes suspended in a glucose-free medium. This lack of glycolytic substrate may have contributed to the diminished ATP and 2,3 diphosphoglyceric (2,3 DPG) synthesis observed.


At least since the eighteenth century, when Vico asserted that we can best know humanity by studying its products and things by studying their origins, one potential way to study literature has been the historical. The study of literature and history has of course taken many different forms as different ideas about the ontology of the text, hermeneutics, history, culture, and epistemology have waxed and waned. In fact, one way to talk about the twists and turns of criticism and theory over the course of the twentieth century is in terms of the effect of these changes in the way we think about history and literature on the ways we study the latter in the light of the former (or choose not to). While the task of reading literature historically has become more difficult, the job is harder still for those who would read contemporary works against a world still in flux around them; even if the present can be read historically, as novels have done since Balzac and critics have done since the Zeitgeist got jumped by the dialectic, its hard to do. Walter Benn Michaels s The Shape of the Signifier is a learned, im pressive, wide-ranging, but ultimately frustrating book. It is learned and impressive in the range of subjects it takes on?poststructuralism, post modernism, the impact of European theory on American theory and criticism, the nature of interpretation, the end of the Cold War?and in the knowledge it brings to bear on those subjects. Like his previ ous books The Gold Standard and the Logic of Naturalism (1987) and Our America (1995), it marshals an impressive array of sources and builds a formidable theoretical scaffolding, all in a fluid and deceptively forceful style. It is frustrating for at least two reasons, both related to the ques tion of the historical study of literature. The ahistoricism of his historical


The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases with age, something which is more noticeable in women, particularly perimenopausal women. Weight gain and the development of abdominal obesity are considered to be the main cause of increased risk of MetS and cardiometabolic factors in perimenopausal women. Increased visceral adipose tissue correlates with elevated insulin resistance, inflammation, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia in middle-aged women. In recent years, particular attention has been drawn to the endocrine role of adipose tissue, mainly visceral adipose tissue, and the concentrations of adipokines and inflammation markers such as: leptin, adiponectin, free fatty acids, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein, C-reactive protein (CRP), and inflammatory cytokines. The development of abdominal obesity is mostly associated with a loss of the protective role of oestrogens and a relative increase of circulating androgens. After menopause, the adipose tissue serves as the primary source of oestrogen production via aromatisation that converts androstenedione and testosterone to oestrone and 17b-oestradiol (E2), respectively. Studies looking at the relation between menopause and MetS conducted over the past years have mostly focused on the analysis of such hormone balance parameters as: E2, free oestradiol, oestrone and androgenic indicators: total testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. In most cases, the results of the research indicate a greater importance of androgenic markers in the assessment of MetS and cardiometabolic risk factors occurrence in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.


Background & Objectives: A prospective study was carried out to find the variations in lipid profile in smokers when compared to non-smokers. To study the alterations in lipid profile in terms of severity of smoking. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out among 200 patients who attended Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai., for various ailments. The population was divided into 100 non-smokers and 100 smokers. The smokers were further divided into three groups depending on the intensity of smoking. Serum lipid profile was analyzed in all subjects. Results: Lipid Profile Non-Smokers (Mean ± Std) Smokers (Mean ± Std) P-Value TC 161.18±26.77 191.96±31.37 < 0.001 TG 103.58±26.26 164.29±28.95 < 0.001 HDL 49.58±8.57 44.72±9.96 = 0.002 LDL 82.34±16.57 103.08±18.66 < 0.001 VLDL 21.69±6.42 29.02±8.98 < 0.001 Dyslipidemia was directly proportional to intensity of smoking. Interpretation and Conclusion: Increase in total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL & VLDL were found in smokers of all age groups. Where as HDL values showed inverse relationship. These changes were directly proportional to the severity of smoking. So, Tobacco smoking is associated with dyslipidemia which is atherogenic in nature. Keyword: Cigarette Smoking, Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Low density lipoprotein, High density Lipoprotein, Very low density Lipoprotein.


The authors of this qualitative study explored clinic experiences of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) attending HIV treatment at the Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa. Focus group discussions were conducted with 18 AYAs to elicit perspectives about the clinic and the staff, ideas for improvements, and opinions about clinic transfer. Three themes emerged: preference for personalized patient–provider relationships, suggestions for clinic improvements, and negative perceptions of transfers to community clinics. The findings provide insight into building youth-friendly HIV treatment services. Further research is needed to understand if negative perceptions of transfers to community clinics will translate into poor retention.


This bachelor thesis focuses on one of a nowadays popular option of investing, namely investment funds. The thesis is concretely specialized in using the investment funds in the productive offer of the financial consulting company Porfin, Ltd. There is a description of the process for the composition of the suggesting investment portfolio making in accordance with the principles of Porfin, Ltd. The description is used by an example.Services connected with the realization of the recommended capital investments and the comparison with another alternatives of a money valuation are noted in the conclusion.


When planning socio-economic development, the majority of European countries apply approaches set forth in the recommendations for choosing a smart specialization strategy. The methodology of smart specialization is a tool for finding the most competitive, unique sectors of a particular region of the country, the support of which may have a significant positive effect on meso- and macro levels. The article aims to analytically substantiate the criteria for choosing the priority spheres of the smart specialization of the Ukrainian economy on the example of Kharkiv region. This region demonstrates the highest increase in industrial potential and the highest level of innovation in Ukraine. According to the results of the authors' studies, the trends of key indicators of socio-economic development are established. Among the types of economic activity in Kharkiv region, industry, agriculture, trade, and information and telecommunications are the most promising (from the position of smart specialization). The article empirically proves that the following are the main criteria for choosing directions of smart specialization (specific industries) in the industrial sector of the region's economy: the innovativeness of products, the efficiency, the level of remuneration. In agriculture, effectiveness is the criterion for choosing smart specialization directions. Its level is reflected in productivity indicators and profitability of production. The choice of trade as a direction of smart specialization of the region is based on two criteria: the specialization in wholesale trade turnover of non-food products; the scale of the domestic component in wholesale trade turnover. The specialization of Kharkiv region in the most innovative segment of information and telecommunication programming, consulting, and related activities indicates the existence of a significant potential for the innovative development of this region.


Karlberg, J., Fryer, J. G., Engström, I. and Karlherg, P. (Departments of Anatomy and Paediatrics I, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and the Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA). Analysis of linear growth using a mathematical model. II. From 3 to 21 years of age. Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 337:12, 1987.


Scandium oxide single crystals were successfully grown electrochemically by applying the Sc 3+ ion-conducting Sc 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 solid electrolyte at 950 °C. The obtained crystals distributed in the range of 0.1-1.3 μm, and the average size was 0.56 μm. Because the melting point of Sc 2 O 3 is as high as ca. 2500 °C, the single crystal growth of such refractory oxides as Sc 2 O 3 is considerably difficult by the conventional thermal heating-cooling crystal growth procedure. The presently developed electrochemical single crystal growth can be simply applicable at moderate temperatures around 1000 °C for the single crystal growth of another type of rare earth refractory oxide by applying the target rare earth ion-conducting Ln 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 solid electrolyte series.


Logistics processes, where RFID technologies are applied to improve process efficiency, and flexible organization of collaboration is required in the foreground, pose challenges to process modeling, analysis and design in Business Process Management. To meet these challenges, we propose in this paper an integrated approach which bundles XSLT nets, a novel variant of high-level Petri nets to model RFID-based logistics processes and to enable their automatic execution, as well as social networking coordinated by Community Processes to support the interconnection and web-based collaboration of logistics partners. The utility of the approach is demonstrated in a modeling use case.


The econometric modelling of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in health economics has recently incorporated preference heterogeneity using the mixed logit (MXL) specification. Modelling heterogeneity combines estimates of the population distribution with information from individuals' choices. There are, however, some known difficulties with the estimation of the MXL model if a frequentist approach is taken. Namely, convergence to the maximum of the simulated likelihood (MSL) function can be difficult if the starting values are not close to their maximum, or if certain distributions are specified. This is because the likelihood function may have multiple local maxima, or not be well approximated by a quadratic. An alternative strategy for estimating the MXL model is to employ a hierarchical Bayes (HB) approach. HB shares the same behavioural assumptions of the frequentist MXL approach, but differs in its estimation procedure and interpretive philosophy. HB uses Gibbs sampling and Metropolis-Hastings to determine the joint posterior. HB does not require the maximization of a likelihood function, thus avoiding issues of local versus global maxima. Despite their differences, HB and MSL may produce the same numerical results. The Bernstein-von Mises theorem states that if the mean of the posterior is taken as an estimate, it will converge asymptotically to the maximum likelihood estimator. This result may not hold in small samples because the approaches differ in their treatment of uncertainty. The objective of this study was to investigate the specification, estimation and performance of the HB approach using data collected from a DCE researching preferences for a novel technology identifying genetic causes of developmental delay. 756 respondents recruited using a market research company completed 16 choice questions, each with three alternatives. The first two alternatives differed on the bases of three attributes: likelihood of genetic diagnosis, time waiting for results, and cost. The third alternative is an opt-out option to model non-demanders. The advantages and comparability of the HB and MSL approaches are also investigated by applying the same random parameter structure using normal and log normal distributions; both models also accounted for the panel structure of the data. Given that the scale parameter may confound a direct comparison of the parameters, the estimates from the frequentist MXL will be rescaled such that the cost coefficient is normalized to be the same for the two procedures. We also test the forecasting ability of either approach using the expected coefficients in the logit formula to calculate the probability of a respondent choosing an alternative. If a model specification is accurate, the alternative with the highest probability in a given choice set should be chosen in the majority of circumstances. The HB and MSL models yielded similar parameter estimates and were equally successful in predicting within-sample responses. In this particular analysis, the HB approach resulted in a quicker estimation time; however, this result may not hold if other distributions are specified. This is because drawing from the conditional posterior becomes complicated if non-normal distributions are specified.


The social, relational, and affective dynamics are receiving more and more attention in the study of learning processes, as cognitive, affective, and emotional dimensions of learning seem to be closely related. This kind of co-origination, borne out in the context of neurosciences, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and education, has also been recognized in the field of Web-based learning. The research framework of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) has emphasized the role that a well-established social dimension plays in collaborative learning and groupbased working within communities of learners. According to the socioconstructivist model, learning always implies a social dialogical process where individuals are mutually engaged in the construction and sharing of new knowledge (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1994; Wenger, 1998). Pedagogical approaches based on these assumptions combine the advantages of a learning strategy that promotes deeper level learning, critical thinking, and shared understanding with those related to the development of social and communication skills (Garrison & Anderson, 2003). What characterizes the intertwining of the educational and sociopsychological dimensions in these settings is that they are strictly linked to the dialogues that participants mutually construct. Most of the learning experiences that occur on the Internet are characterized by written and asynchronous communication (Lapadat, 2002). And the written discourse deeply influences also the socio-affective dimension of learning. The present review aims at presenting the most recent and promising research studies that tackle the linguistic nature of the emotional and affective dimension of learning in Web-based learning environments. Its purpose is to emphasize how computer-mediated communication (CMC) may convey specific social affordances in the expression of affective and social domain of learning. bacKground


Abstract The words "religion" and "religious" are deeply influenced by cultural and social context. The word "religion" could mean to the ears of a North American a social phenomenon that a South American doesn't consider such. The same thing can happen in a dialogue between an Asian and an European. In fact, in contemporary society, the word "religion" has many meanings, not always understandable, sometimes hidden. The same goes for the adjective "religious." What do I mean when I define a place, a behavior, a building, a person with the adjective "Religious"? Can I really be sure that what for me is "religious" is so for the man talking to me as well? Do my culture, education, and family traditions lead me to consider as "Religious" something that for other people is not so? Such questions are particularly relevant if we think about the value that many legal systems attribute to "Religion" and "Religious." The words "religion" and "religious" have hidden meanings that only knowledge of a given culture and tradition may help to unravel. These hidden meanings are often important in legal discourse, especially in case law; which is why it is necessary to reveal them.


Reminiscence therapy is a treatment that helps mitigate unstable psychological states in patients with Alzheimer's disease, where past experiences are evoked through conversations between the patient and their caregiver, stimulating autobiographical episodic memory. It is highly recommended that people with Alzheimer's receive this type of therapy constantly. This article describes the initial work in the development and implementation of a conversational model that can support caregivers of patients with this type of dementia to provide therapy periodically and enhance the benefits it offers. It is intended that the model allows generating personalized conversations between a prototype of the conversational system and patients. The proposed model collects patient information related to their preferences, history and lifestyle to personalize the conversation according to the profile of them. The modules that integrate this architecture are the following: Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Dialog Management (DM), Dialog Model, Natural Language Generation (NLG) y Text-to-Speech (TTS).


The Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo, coming a long way south from Eurasia and its dragonfly prey, the Global Wanderer, migrating with the monsoon across the Indian Ocean, meet in Namibia. Distribution, migration, food and feeding of the species are described and the measurements of a ringed bird (5H26516) will be compared to the literature.


We study the dimension of self-similar measures associated to a homogeneous iterated function system of three contracting similarities on $\bf R$ and other more general IFS's. We extend some of the theory recently developed for Bernoulli convolutions to this setting. In the setting of three maps a new phenomenon occurs, which has been highlighted by recent examples of Baker, and Barany, Kaenmaki. To overcome the difficulties stemming form these, we develop novel techniques, including an extension of Hochman's entropy increase method to a function field setup.


Stack models require consideration of interactions between cells owing to practical variation of cell model parameters and different location/environment in the stack leading to thermal, electrical and mass transfer gradients. A previously developed voltage/current distributi on model (electrical interaction) was extended and validated using two types of anomalies (bus plate material change, partially inactive cell located at the stack center), two anomaly locations and one or two anomalies within the stack. A measurement method for the principal cell interaction damping factor is discussed which can be used to easily and approximately predict the number of cells that are impacted by an anomaly. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Audience Response Systems can benefit the normal course of the classes. Dedicated Audience Response Systems can be quite expensive to purchase and maintain. Additionally, the question types supported are somewhat limited, usually only choice questions are available. In our previous works we have developed a set of OpenSocial gadgets that can be included in a personal iGoogle page. Our future work is centred in providing a electronic voting system based on gadgets with iGoogle using mobile devices as smartphones and laptops for voting.


At the end of 2010 - beginning of 2011 political leaders of Germany, Great Britain and France made statements for «a multiculturalism failure» that became a significant event in socio-political and ethnocultural life of Western Europe. Certainly, leaders of three leading countries of the European Union didn't put into question the need of harmonious coexistence of representatives of various ethnocultures and religions in one state. They focused attention of the world community on incorrectly chosen principle of the organization of interaction of various ethnoconfessional and cultural communities living in the territory of the national state. Today practically everywhere the structure of modern national states loses the uniformity, and explosive forces of multiculturalism generate very serious political and sociocultural problems. Due to that we encounter with the question whether it is possible or not to find an adequate background to reach a unification of the civil and ethnic nation? This article is an attempt to answer this question.The analysis of trends in modern ethno-cultural policy in some European countries allows us to consider the dynamics undergoing ethno-political and sociocultural processes, in some cases as a solution to actual economic tasks and labor migration, in others - as a search for optimum ways of artificial creation of unified multicultural space.The conducted research allows to conclude that the declaration of the principles of multiculturalism doesn't give a guarantee of achievement of interethnic tolerance, on the contrary, its functional application in a form of a certain formal technique, is obviously unpromising right where the target state policy is realized


Extended Finite State Machine (EFSM) is a popular model for software testing. Automated test generation on EFSM models is still far from mature. One of the challenges is test case generation for a given path and the path may be infeasible. This paper proposes a novel approach to solve the path ordering problem by the Multi-objective Pareto optimization technique. Two fitness functions are designed to obtain the Pareto-optimal solutions of path sequence, such that test cases could be generated more effectively. The optimization process is to find the path set, with trade-off path length, coverage criterion and path feasibility. An experiment was designed with four popular EFSM models. The experimental results show that our approach is more effective by comparing it to previous techniques. Keywordspath feasibility evaluation, Multi-objective optimization, test case generation, EFSM model-based testing


This article examines how Colombian doctors and public health officials during the last decades of the nineteenth century produced a body of knowledge about the health of the nation's citizens, using the language and authority of science to speak about a society in need of redemption and medical intervention. In these cases, gender became an essential component of elite and medical discourses. Medical doctors and hygienists described female identities either as potentially threatening and therefore degenerative to the nation's moral and economic fabric or as a "civilizing force" through the mobilization of motherhood and the reification of the Colombian family as a regenerative site. The doctors and government officials here examined expected women to preserve the family as a unit and inculcate the values of order, hygiene and efficiency in the private sphere. If elite constructions of "ideal" female identities mobilized women in their primary function as mothers, preoccupations with the control of "public women" that upset public order or threatened the family unit rheto-rically emphasized their deviance. In direct contrast to the feminine ideal, the construction of the feminine other emphasized moral transgression and sexual promiscuity.


Abstract The influence of molybdenum and nitrogen on passivation of the nickel-bearing austenitic stainless steels (SS) Fe-20% Cr-20% Ni, Fe-20% Cr-20% Ni-6% Mo, and Fe-20% Cr-20% Ni-6% Mo-0.2% N in deaerated 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) + 0.4 M sodium chloride (NaCl) was investigated using electrochemical and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analyses. Electrochemical analyses showed molybdenum and nitrogen improved passivation characteristics through an apparent synergism. Evidence was found of a compositional reorganization of SS in the atomic layers of the alloy immediately below the passive film. Nickel and molybdenum appeared to become enriched in proportions that suggested molybdenum-nickel intermetallic bonding. This was augmented by alloyed nitrogen, which strongly governed the elemental enrichment process. The possible nature of the bonding of these elements was reviewed with respect to the Engel-Brewer model of intermetallic bonding. Variable-angle XPS and electrochemical polarization an...


Although high-density lentiform appearance which is typical finding for acute epidural hematoma (AEDH) is unusual, several studies previously reported such atypical appearance of acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) on computed tomography (CT) scan. A 78-year-old woman visited our hospital with right-side grade IV weakness and headache that developed 1 day before, without any trauma history. Brain CT scan revealed left-side high-density lentiform hematoma with peripheral crescent changes. On the opposite side, there was simultaneous typical ASDH. During surgery, there was no epidural hematoma and a large amount of dark red–colored hematoma was seen after opening of dura. A clinical history of patient and careful observation of preoperative CT scan allows clinician to differentiate ASDH from AEDH before operation.


We report the superconducting phase diagram of the hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) InxWO3. The InxWO3 samples were prepared by indium deintercalation of the thermodynamically stable parent phase In0.33WO3. By employing this technique, a lowest indium content in the HTB phase of was achieved, which cannot be obtained by conventional solid-state reaction. In addition, accurately and reproducibly controlled indium content and homogeneous samples enable us to perform a systematic study of the physical properties of InxWO3. Most of the InxWO3 samples exhibit a superconducting transition and the highest transition temperature in InxWO3 was observed at . The indium content dependence of shows remarkable similarities to other MxWO3 ( and Rb) HTBs. Our results reveal the universality of physical properties in the HTB family and give a strategy to achieve higher in HTBs.


In order to verify the nitrogen pollution status of shallow groundwater in typical city of Taihu Lake Basin, urban planning area of Suzhou city was selected as the study area, and 14 sampling sites representing different land use types were selected to carry out water quality analysis. The status, temporal variability of nitrogen pollution and composition characteristics of various forms of nitrogen for shallow groundwater were analyzed. The results show that the nitrogen pollution of shallow groundwater in study area is relatively serious. The average contents of total nitrogen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen are 8.23, 5.45, 2.77, 2.53, 0.12 and 2.81 mg/L, respectively. The variation coefficients of various forms of nitrogen are large and the spatial differentiation is significant. The contents of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in shallow groundwater show an obvious spatial distribution characteristics. Nitrogen pollution in old urban areas is much more serious than other types of areas, especially ammonia nitrogen pollution is particularly prominent. Inorganic nitrogen is the main form of nitrogen in groundwater, while ammonia nitrogen is the main form of inorganic nitrogen.


Management education is a booming business in Russia these days, with more than 1,000 business schools and training centres having been established in the past couple of years in Moscow alone. Focuses on the way management education is evolving in Russia. First presents an overview of the management education system that existed during the communist period as background. Follows with a discussion of how political, social and economic changes have influenced management education since 1988. Next presents the latest developments in management education. Topics include the types of business schools which have been created, as well as the characteristics of their faculty, programmes and curricula and teaching methodologies. Concludes with a discussion of the future of management education, and presents a pessimistic and an optimistic scenario of the potential impact of management education on the economy, politics and society in the new Russia.


Using the clamping method (closing and opening the flap feeding artery) and continuous laser Doppler flowmetry, the effects of blood withdrawals on flap blood flow and on active and passive mechanisms regulating it were investigated in 12 Sprague-Dawley rats. Measurements were made during stable normovolemic conditions, during hypovolemia (after 3 ml/kg and after 6 ml/kg blood withdrawal), and after retransfusion of the shed blood. The continuous blood flow responses during and after the clamping procedure were analyzed. After clamp release, the increase in blood flow, duration of overshoot


In this paper the effect of different Mobility trajectory is analyzed by making some good sectors and bad sectors for VOD over Wimax. To investigate given effect the SVC codes are considered in simulation environment through opnet modeler 14.5. The performance is examination in the terms of throughput, traffic received and packet end to end delay. The result concerns that SISO is better than MIMO. Simulation also shows that the performance of trajectory model is better for Adaptive and for QPSK, when some nodes are not


In Knowledge engineering, synthesized information has often an evolving and relational form. Information representation using graphs may ease data interpretation for non-expert users. However this graph may be complex and simplifications are useful in order to ease analysis. In this article, we present VisuGraph, a powerful tool for graph drawing. This tool gives the possibility to reduce large graph by two techniques: the Markov CLustering algorithm (MCL) application and the global graph division in time-sliced visualizations in order to specify and to simplify temporal analysis.


Under date of November 27, 1881, Professor Ferdinand Piper made in the inventory of Berlin University's Christian Museum, which he founded in 1849 and directed until his death (November 28, 1889), under number 3807, the following entry:


This report represents an attempt to correlate experimental data obtained with a burning rate bomb with the data obtained from the firing of rocket charges, and to obtain burning rate curves for new propellants where insufficient data exists.

It was found that very good agreement could be obtained between experimental data obtained in a burning rate bomb and data derived from test firing of rocket charges.

A comparison was made among three different propellants which utilized Thiokol LP-3 for the fuel, and potassium perchlorate and ammonium perchlorate, separately or in combination, for the oxidizer. It was found that potassium perchlorate only gave the fastest burning rate, and the ammonium perchlorate only gave the slowest burning rate, while a mixture of the two gave an intermediate value.

An investigation was made on the coning of solid propellant charges. Coning is the term applied when the burning of a solid propellant charge forms a conical burning surface. Normally a flat burning surface is expected and desired. It was found that a wide deviation in the burning rates existed between the center of the propellant and the edge in the case of the mixture of the ammonium and potassium perchlorate and the pure ammonium perchlorate oxidizers. The results also showed that the difference in burning rates between the center and edge of the charge increased as the amount of ammonium perchlorate in the oxidizer was increased. The limited investigation seemed to indicate that the fundamental variation in burning rate was the only cause of coning.

Best results were obtained from the use of a restricting material similar in nature to the propellant being investigated. In this case, a Thiokol restricting material gave the best results on the Thiokol propellants.


The authors present a review of 86 patients with bony ankylosis of Temporomandibular joint treated between Jan 1990 and Dec 2005 at a tertiary care referral hospital in Srinagar. Childhood trauma was the leading cause of ankylosis. For initial 50 patients of the series, acrylic spacer was used as interpositional material, and for the rest of patients, silicone block was used. Follow-up evaluation ranged from 14 months to five years (average 31 months). Recurrence was observed in 5 patients (all in acrylic group). There was statistically no significant difference in post operative mouth opening and other complications between the two groups. The aim of the study was to analyze the treatment outcome of the patients with TMJ ankylosis.


The fragment of a fossil molar which forms the subject of the present paper has been mentioned at two different occasions in earlier publications (Erdbrink, 1943, p. 124 ; 1954, p. 299), the last one of which was cited by Badoux in 1959 (p. 74). Both references, however, do not contain a description of the find in question, because I did not have it at my disposition at the time of writing. Thanks to the present owner of the fossil, my cousin R. H. Kerkhoven, whom I wish to thank for his permission, I am now able to describe it more fully. In 1935 a description, together with information on the circumstances of the find, was given by Von Koenigswald in a private typewritten report to the then Director of the Netherlands East Indies Geological Service. Owing to the nature of this report it has never been published, but thanks to the fact that a copy of it is still in possession of professor Von Koenigswald, who kindly allowed me to make use of it (for which my thanks are due to him), I am able to compare the results arrived at with those of my own.


Background: Ear surgeries performed under general anaesthesia mandate smooth emergence after surgery to facilitate a good surgical outcome. We conducted this study with primary objective of comparing dexmedetomidine and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) in attenuating extubation response after mastoid surgeries. The secondary outcome was to study the adverse effects if any.
Methods: Sixty patients of ASA grade I and II, aged 18 -50 yrs were randomized into 2 groups of 30 each receiving either dexmedetomidine 0.5μg/kg or MgSO4 30 mg/kg respectively 10 minutes prior to completion of surgery. Efficacy of both drugs in attenuating cough reflex, PONV, shivering and fluctuations in haemodynamic response were recorded. Postoperative sedation was noted. Any laryngospasm, bronchospasm, hypotension, bradycardia, desaturation was also noted.
Statistical analysis: The observations were recorded and analysed using statistics calculator SPSS 19.00 version. Student's t test and χ2 (chi square) test were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data respectively. P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The variations in systolic, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were significantly less with dexmedetomidine as compared to MgSO4 (p<0.01).  Incidence of coughing (p=0.002), PONV(p=0.002), was less with dexmedetomidine while shivering control was similar in both groups, the sedation was more with dexmedetomidine (p=0.004). Patients with dexmedetomidine infusion were more satisfied in terms of reduced nausea sensation, drowsiness.
Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine provides a smoother recovery profile as compared to MgSO4 when administered prior to extubation improving the surgical outcome and patient satisfaction in patients undergoing mastoidectomies.


Significance Dopamine receptor signaling in the brain participates in memory encoding through the regulation of glutamatergic signaling. Here we provide evidence that single dopamine D1 receptors are highly dynamic at the surface of hippocampal neurons. In addition, these receptors, together with glutamatergic NMDA receptors, form surface clusters in the vicinity of glutamate synapses, providing a strategically located reservoir pool from which they can be laterally redistributed during synaptic adaptations. The plasma membrane and receptor dynamics thus appear as an important level of the glutamate–dopamine interplay. Dopamine is a powerful modulator of glutamatergic neurotransmission and NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity. Although several intracellular cascades participating in this functional dialogue have been identified over the last few decades, the molecular crosstalk between surface dopamine and glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) signaling still remains poorly understood. Using a combination of single-molecule detection imaging and electrophysiology in live hippocampal neurons, we demonstrate here that dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs) and NMDARs form dynamic surface clusters in the vicinity of glutamate synapses. Strikingly, D1R activation or D1R/NMDAR direct interaction disruption decreases the size of these clusters, increases NMDAR synaptic content through a fast lateral redistribution of the receptors, and favors long-term synaptic potentiation. Together, these data demonstrate the presence of dynamic D1R/NMDAR perisynaptic reservoirs favoring a rapid and bidirectional surface crosstalk between receptors and set the plasma membrane as the primary stage of the dopamine–glutamate interplay.


The present invention, (i) and the end portion of the at least one cylinder of the engine in the combustion chamber (302) (110), at least the control jack of the engine in the upper chamber (121) of (ii) control jack (8) for closing an end portion of the one cylinder (112) comprises a common cylinder head which cooperates with the cylinder case (100) (300), the cylinder case is movable coupling system of the variable compression ratio engine (2, 3, 4 , to accommodate all components of 5,6,7,9,10,13), associated with the engine block and cylinder head assembly of the variable compression ratio engine. .Field


This article investigates the equity cross-section of real estate investment trusts (REITs) both when REITs are added as a separate portfolio to the cross-section of industries and when individual REITs are studied in isolation. A nine-factor asset pricing model which critically relies on the bankruptcy risk factor of Neumann (2021b) produces REIT portfolios which outperform the REIT market in terms of Sharpe ratio and the S&P 500 index in terms of absolute returns. The decrease in adjusted R2 of an asset pricing model when REITs are included as a separate portfolio is presented as an alternative quantification of the temporally dynamic correlation between REITs and other equity assets.


As Paul Hiebert called it in his paper: "The flaws of excluded middle," people especially in Asia and Africa can adopt a "middle Earth" view, i.e. a world where both rationality and supra-rationality can co-exist. Such an "included middle" worldview can be viewed in terms of Neutrosophic Membership Function too. Similarly the dynamics of identity change between outer faiths and Christianity is often a long and complex process, and we submit that it can be modelled as a spectrum, of which some people described the process as C1-C6. This spectrum can be viewed in terms of Neutrosophic Membership function. In this paper, we offer a fresh look at these problem using two new concepts: Liquid church and also Neutrosophic Membership function. It is our hope that our model, which may be called "Neutrosophic Liquid Ecclesiology," can shed some light on the interaction and dynamics in Missiology and modern day Ecclesiology, especially in Asia and Africa context. All in all, this paper may be considered as an exploration of a new subject in doing theology: Mathematical Theology.


In the video with a various environment, background modeling is important for extraction and recognition the moving object. For this object recognition, many methods of the background modeling are proposed in a process of preprocess. Among these there is a Kumar method which represents the Queue-based background modeling. Because this has a fixed period of updating examination of the frame, there is a limit for various system. This paper use a background modeling based on the queue. We propose the method that major parameters are decided as adaptive by background model. They are the queue size of the sliding window, the sire of grouping by the brightness of the visual and the period of updating examination of the frame. In order to determine the factors, in every process, RCO (Ratio of Correct Object), REO (Ratio of Error Object) and UR (Update Ratio) are considered to be the standard of evaluation. The proposed method can improve the existing techniques of the background modeling which is unfit for the real-time processing and recognize the object more efficient.


This article studies about feasibility of a model of foster sports reserves "combination of sports, education with study" and argued and analyzed it by consulting literature, applying logical analysis and interviewing. From analysis current situation of sports reserves, and the regulation of sports reserves' development, the writer puts forward a way to solve the problem of the contraction between education and sports, and enhance the ability of study, to realize of sustaining development of individual.


A systematic CT-scan-aided laboratory study of N2 foam in Bentheimer sandstone cores is reported. The aim of the study was to investigate whether foam can improve oil recovery from clastic reservoirs subject to immiscible gas flooding. Foam was generated in situ in water-flooded sandstone cores by coinjecting gas and surfactant solution at fixed foam quality. It was stabilized using two surfactants, namely, C14–16 α-olefin sulfonate (AOS) and mixtures of AOS and a polymeric fluorocarbon (FC) ester. The effects of surfactant concentration, injection direction, surfactant preflush, and core length on foam behavior were examined in detail. Stable foams were obtained in the presence of waterflood residual oil. It was found that foam strength (mobility reduction factor) increases with surfactant concentration. Foam development and, correspondingly, oil recovery without surfactant preflush were delayed compared to the case with preflush. Gravity-stable foam injection caused a rapid increase in foam strength and...


Poster: "ECR 2010 / C-0733 / Absolute quantitative MR myocardial perfusion imaging: A direct comparison of adenosine stress and cold pressor test examinations" by: "C. O. Ritter, P. Knodler, A. Weng, D. Hahn, H. Kostler; Wurzburg/DE"


The electrical resistance of CaO coatings produced on V-5%Cr-5%Ti by exposure of the alloy to liquid Li that contained 4 at.% dissolved Ca was measured as a function of time at temperatures of 250 to 698{degrees}C. The solute element, Ca in liquid Li, reacted with the alloy substrate at 420{degrees}C to produce a CaO coating. The resistance of the coating layer was {approx} 0.4 and 35.7 {Omega} at 267 and 698{degrees}C, respectively. Thermal cycling between 267 and 698{degrees}C changed the resistance of the coating layer, which followed insulator behavior. These results and those reported previously suggest that thin homogeneous coatings can be produced on variously shaped surfaces by controlling the exposure time, temperature, and composition of the liquid metal. This coating method is applicable to reactor components of various shapes (e.g., inside/outside of tubes, complex geometrical shapes) because the coating is formed by liquid-phase reaction. The liquid metal can be used over and over because only the solutes are consumed within the liquid metal.


The invention discloses a space six-freedom-degree air floatation follow-up moving platform which comprises an air floatation platform, a follow-up device, an air floatation bearing, a control moment top, a linkage piece, a six-dimensional sensor, an air floatation ball, an air floatation bearing bracket, a moving guiding track, a gravity balancing device and a test cabin. According to the platform, an air floatation technology is used for achieving two freedom degree translational motion and three freedom degree rotating, a hydraulic balancing method is used for achieving follow-up motion and lifting in one freedom degree direction, the platform combines air floatation, a gravity balancing technology and a modern control method, so that the whole platform is compact in structure, the platform can stimulate a spacecraft gesture to move under a space microgravity environment, and the platform is used for a ground full-timing-sequence combined test of tasks such as spacecraft docking and transposition.


The instability of the steady current state in high-temperature superconductors (Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O8 and YBa2Cu3O7) cooled by a liquid refrigerant (helium, hydrogen and nitrogen) is studied. It is shown that the mechanism of the current instability depends on the type of coolant. Firstly, the destruction of stable current states may occur after transition of the cooling conditions on the surface of the superconductor from the nucleate to film boiling regimes. This instability mechanism is more probable for superconductors cooled by liquid helium. Secondly, the current instability may occur due to the disruption of the stable formation of the voltage–current characteristic of a superconductor even in the nucleate boiling regime of cooling. Such regimes are most probable when liquid nitrogen cools the superconductor. The necessary criteria allowing one to determine the influence of the properties of superconductor and coolant on the current instability mechanism are formulated.


Carbon nanofibers is a new kind of electromagnetic wave absorbing materials and it is expected as a new kind of smoke interference agent. To study the scattering and extinction characteristics of carbon nanofibers, the electromagnetic scattering calculating model was established, and the induced current equation was solved by moment method, as well as the relationship between the infrared extinction cross section and the length of carbon nanofibers was analyzed and calculated based on MATLAB. The results show that when the conductivity of carbon nanofibers is large, the extinction cross section appears a series of resonant peaks along with the length change, and when the length of carbon nanofibers is equal to the first resonant length, the extinction cross section of unit volume will reach the maximum value, and a good extinction effect can be achieved at the same time. The contribution of scattering to extinction is enhanced with the increase of electrical conductivity.


In this paper, a three-dimensional photon counting optical encryption technique with occlusion layers of the primary information is suggested. In the optical encryption including double-random-phase encryption, the encryption and decryption processes are simple and fast. The technique can provide greater security by using the sparse detection of photons in photon counting imaging for the amplitude of the encrypted data and the depth range information for the occlusion layers of the primary information. Preliminary experiments were conducted to show that the suggested technique has greater security.


The present invention relates to a computer recording medium for performing the semantic client, semantic information management server, the semantic information generation method, the semantic information search method and a method thereof. Semantic client according to the present invention comprises ID generator for generating a unique ID for the content; And descriptors generated for generating a descriptor for defining a correlation between at least two content characterized in that it comprises a. Semantic information management server according to the present invention is the semantic information data to store descriptor including information about the correlation between the unique ID and the associated content of the content between a base; And it characterized in that it contains the agent to retrieve the semantic information of the related content by referring to the semantic information database. If the content to the invention may therefore have its own unique ID that a user searches for the content to rest. It can also be quickly and accurately retrieve other contents related to a content ID and by using it diseukeuripteoeul of content in the content search. To deliver content itself in the transfer from the device information, but also to improve the transmission efficiency by transmitting only the ID of the content, one frame or screen objects by providing an ID to a movie or a video frame or picture-in objects that make up the the search can target it. Future, the present invention is applied to the field of 3 WEB services, semantic web services, intelligent IPTV, the media portal (Media portal) can support the content-related automation and personalized service.


Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare demyelinating disease caused by deficient lysosomal arylsulfatase-A (ARSA) activity and resulting pathologic sulfatide excess. Signs and symptoms vary with the age of disease onset. In early phenotypes ("late infantile" and "early juvenile"; onset < 6 years; E-MLD) rapid neurologic regression and death are observed. In late disease ("late juvenile" and "adult"; onset ≥ 6 years; L-MLD) a neuropsychiatric prodrome often precedes frank neurologic decline. For over 30 years, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been used to halt or curb MLD progression. Yet published outcome data are scant and mixed. We report characteristics of and outcomes for 42 MLD patients following HSCT at the University of Minnesota, the largest such report to our knowledge.

From 1984 to 2008, 17 E-MLD and 25 L-MLD patients were transplanted. The median age at HSCT in the E-MLD group was 5 years (range, 0 – 8 years); the median age at transplant in the L-MLD group was 20 years (range, 6 – 44 years). Twelve (29%) patients were male. Preparative regimens varied. Twenty-seven (64%) patients received myeloablative busulfan/cyclophosphamide conditioning; 11 (26%) received a cyclophosphamide/TBI regimen; 4 (10%) underwent reduced-intensity conditioning. Allograft sources also varied. 10 (24%) patients received an HLA-matched sibling marrow graft; 16 (38%) had an unrelated marrow donor (HLA-mismatched = 6); 16 (38%) received UCB grafts (HLA-mismatched = 14).

Thirty-three (79%) patients were symptomatic at HSCT. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 17 months in E-MLD and 50 months in L-MLD patients. Pre-HSCT brain MRI data was available for 37 patients; 36 (97%) demonstrated white-matter abnormalities. Of 40 patients with evaluable pre-HSCT nerve conduction velocity (NCV) studies, 37 (93%) had measurable peripheral neuropathy. Non-neuropsychological clinical involvement was scored per a neurologic function scale (NFS, 0 = no neurologic findings, 25 = maximal neurologic findings) spanning the domains of auditory processing, vision, motor, swallowing, incontinence, and seizures. Of 40 patients evaluable for pre-HSCT NFS, 25 (63%) had a non-zero score (range, 1 - 4) and 15 (37%) a zero score.

Five-year survival was 58%. Greatest survival (70%) was seen in recipients of HLA-matched, sibling marrow. Among alternative graft recipients (n = 32), favorable survival followed UCB transplantation compared to unrelated marrow (62% versus 47%). Ten patients (24%) died of transplant-related causes by day 180 (3 from hepatic veno-occulsive disease; 2 each from graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and sepsis; 1 each from graft failure, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and multiple organ failure syndrome). Four additional patients died within 1 year of transplant, all from infection. Four patients (all E-MLD) died from disease progression (range, 1.5 – 7.1 years post-HSCT). Fourteen patients (33%) developed grade II-IV acute GvHD; 6 (14%) developed chronic GvHD.

The median survivor follow-up was 10 years; 74% demonstrated ≥ 80% donor engraftment at most recent observation. Of 30 evaluable patients, only 9 (31%) demonstrated progression of white-matter disease at median MRI follow-up of 1.26 years. For 22 patients with post-HSCT NCV studies, 17 (77%) evidenced worsening peripheral neuropathy at median follow-up 2.9 years. Twenty-four patients had evaluable post-transplant NFS scores. In E-MLD, the median increase in NFS score was 9 (range, 1 - 10) at median follow-up of 3.4 years. In L-MLD, the median increase was 3 (range, 0 - 22) at median follow-up of 3 years. Symptom status (present versus absent) at the time of HSCT neither impacted survival nor post-transplant NFS. Of 15 L-MLD patients surviving past one year, 7 had an evaluable verbal IQ (VIQ, average range 80 - 120) on both pre- and post-HSCT neuropsychological evaluations. In this subgroup, the mean pre- and post-HSCT VIQ were 83 and 75, respectively; mean follow up was 4.1 years post-HSCT.

In summary, we report outcomes following HSCT for a large MLD cohort. Preliminary analysis suggests favorable clinical neurologic and neuropsychological performance following transplant for L-MLD. Ongoing analysis of the entire cohort, including comparisons against untreated siblings, aims to further define the neurological and neuropsychological benefit of HSCT for MLD.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Kernel PCA is an efficient method for nonlinear feature extraction. We address two issues in kernel PCA based feature extraction and classification. First, it extracts features without utilizing sample label information. Second, it does not provide a practical means to choose the dimensionality for principal subspace. In this paper, one kind of side-information is incorporated into kernel PCA to solve the first problem. And a complete probabilistic density function is estimated in kernel space so that the choice of dimensionality for principal subspace becomes less important. The proposed model is named probabilistic kernel feature subspace (PKFS). Experiments show that it achieves promising performance and outperforms many other algorithms in classification.


This study used the 24‐hour dietary recall data of white adult respondents in the NHANES I to demonstrate variability in food consumption patterns among subgroups of this population. Both a quantitative dimension, mean intake levels and the qualitative dimensions of nutrient density and diet diversity were used. Generally males consumed more food energy and nutrients than did females, as did younger, as compared to older subjects. This pattern was less consistent for vitamins A and C than for other nutrients. Sex differences in diet diversity were small. The higher energy and nutrient consumption of males, similarity in the number of "nutritious" foods in the diet and higher nutrient density values found among females, together, support the existence of variability in food consumption.


Fragaria vesca L. (wild strawberry) belongs to the Rosaceae family. The aerial part from wild strawberry was applied in traditional medicine. Fragaria vesca are a rich source of biologically active substances like tannins, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids and phenolic acids. The aim of this study was to compare the value of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant activities in infusion, decoction glycerine extracts and tinctures obtained from the F. vesca leaves and flowers. The extracts were analyzed regarding their secondary metabolites content (total polyphenols, total tannins, and total proanthocyanidins) and antioxidant activities (DPPH and FRAP methods). The analysis of 50% glycerin extracts under ultrasound irradiation shown the highest level of total polyphenols (150.2 mg GAE/g dw), total tannins (65.8 mg TAE/g dw) total proanthocyanidins (193.3 mg LE/ 100g dw) and antioxidant activities – radical scavenging activity (DPPH – 1255.2 m mol TE/ g dw) and metal reducing ability (FRAP – 1129.2 mmol TE/ g dw). The results showed that the 50% glycerin extracts from leaves and flowers of Fragaria vesca are appropriate additives for the preparation of emulsion for natural cosmetic products with improved biological activity. The most suitable solvent for tincture preparation was 50% ethanol. With this solvent, the biologically active substances were best extracted (total polyphenols – 10847.3 mg GAE/ L). The influence of the storage period at room temperature on the amount of biologically active surfactants in the obtained tinctures was also monitored. The optimal shelf life for tinctures has been determinate at 12 months.


Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the least preferred by surgeons; it presently contributes to approximately seven percent of all bariatric surgeries performed. One of the primary reasons for its falling out of favor is the lack of efficacy and high variability in weight loss2,3. LAGB involves the placement of a compressible device on the upper part of the stomach. This band or device is adjustable as it can be inflated or deflated with a subcutaneous port4. Although it has advantages such as reversibility, LAGB has its complications. Approximately 50% of patients require reoperation either for revision of the band placement or for major complications such as gastric band erosion, band slippage, dilatation of the pouch and adhesions. Serious complications occur in 10% of cases and are usually life-threatening5-8.


Water-retention dykes at Seven Sisters Generating Station in Manitoba have experienced irregular instabilities since they were heightened in the late 1940s. An investigation was undertaken to compare three locations at the site, one section of dyke that had experienced previous instability, a second section that had remained stable, and a third, background location that had not experienced dyke loading. The investigation included laboratory tests, field tests, and computer modelling. The laboratory tests indicated anisotropic stiffness and brittle strain-softening behaviour in the highly plastic clay beneath the dykes. Results from the stable and unstable sections showed greater brittleness and anisotropy at the unstable section. Pore fluid chemistry tests for cation and anion concentrations showed considerable reductions in concentrations of calcium and sulphate beneath the dykes compared with those of the background section. This suggested leaching of gypsum in the foundation soil. Computer modelling wa...


The ontological essence of psychoculture is considered in the article. Physical perfection is analysed in the light of psychoculture on the example of physical culture and sport. The author offers an original vision of a sense of a physically advanced person's ideal image.


Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense is known to have a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic activity and antipyretic activity. In this study we investigated the role of polyacetylene compound, 1-Heptadecene-11, 13-diyne-8, 9, 10-triol (PA) from the root of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense as an immune-modulator. PA was evaluated as inhibitors of some macrophage functions involved in the inflammatory process. We tested the effect of PA on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1beta (IL-1B) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), and nitric oxide (NO) in murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. There was no effect on cytokine production of macrophages by PA itself. However, PA inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-1B and TNF-a production by macrophages at a dose dependent manner. PA also suppressed the NO production of macrophages by LPS. LPS-induced NF-KB activity was decreased by treatment of PA. Therefore, these results suggest that PA has anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the NF-KB activation.


We elaborate on the procedure followed to determine the magnetic dipole moment of the rho meson, μp = 2.1 ± 0.5[e/2mρ], from the e+e- → π+π-2π0 process. Using preliminary data from the BaBar Collaboration and a vector meson dominance approach.


Decoherence causes the decay of the quantum information that is stored in highly correlated states during quantum computation. It is thus a limiting factor for all implementations of a quantum computer. Because a scalable quantum computer with hundreds or thousands of qubits is not available yet, experimental data about decoherence rates was restricted to small quantum registers. With solid state nuclear magnetic resonance we create highly correlated multiqubit states that serve as a model quantum register and measure their decay. By measuring the decay as a function of the system size, we determined the scaling of the decoherence rate with the number of qubits. Using the same system, we also used decoupling techniques to reduce the coupling between system and environment and thereby the decoherence rate by more than an order of magnitude, independent of the system size. For the free decay as well as for the decoupled case, we found a relatively weak scaling with system size, which could be fitted to a power law $\ensuremath{\propto}{\overline{K}}^{p}$ with an exponent $p\ensuremath{\approx}1∕2$. This raises the prospect for large-scale quantum computation.


Istihālah is the transformation of a necisor haram substance into a clean or halal structure. This trans formation is due to structural changes or chemical changes. Istihālah doesn't always turn the haram into halal. In some cases, however, it should be accepted that the forbidden substances become halal by istihālah. Resources of the food and the chemical changing process in the production process determine the irrulings in Islamic law. When the examples of the istihālah in Islamic law are evaluated collectively, we can say the following. Every part of swine is not allowed to use as a raw material in the production of food additives whether it was under gone to istihālah or not. Because everything belong to swine is dirty (najis). Triglycerides are under gone istihālah if they are break down to glycerol and fatty acids. Proteins are undergone istihālah if they are totally breakdown to their amino acids. When glycerol, fattyacids and amino acids generated from these breakdowns are used to produce new substances, the new products are accepted as undergone istihālah. Monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, nucleotides, gelatins and phosphatidic acids are not ac-cepted as undergoneistihālah. Because, theyare not hydrolyzedtotheirsubunits, sothey do not lose their features. If these compounds are used to obtain new additives, the new ones are not accepted as undergone istihālah. Istihlāk generally means mixing little amounts of a substance into another substance more in quantity. According to an approach in istihlāk, the lesser substance keeps its existence in the mixture but its color, taste and smellare lost. In another approach, clean and dirty substances are mixed and the dirty substance is transformed into a different clean substance. Istihlāk, in this case, becomes a sub-division of istihālah. The main question here is whether the alcohol is unclean and a small amount of alcohol used in the production of soft drinks is subject to istihlāk?


Hydroformylation of butenes and styrene were studied using [(−)-DIOP]PtCl2-SnCl2 catalyst system. Contrary to the reported results, each butene isomer gave 2-methylbutanal of inherent optical purity and prevailing chirality as in the case of rhodium-catalyzed reaction. The result indicates that asymmetric induction takes place before the making up of the diastereomeric alkyl-Pt intermediate.


This article offers a brief presentation of the theological-pastoral category "Salamanca Process" or "Salamanca-New World Process," pointing out its development in the last General Chapters of the Order of Preachers, and trying to clarify its meaning and its possible forms of implementation. This category expresses some distinctive traits of the Dominican spiritual and intellectual tradition - going back to St. Dominic himself, in which study is understood at the service of the preaching of grace. The article intends to offer an initial and fragmentary response to questions posed by some Dominicans who seek a greater clarification of this notion in order to better understand and participate more actively in this initiative. The text deals with the following points: 1) The development of this category in the General Chapters of the Order of Preachers from 2013 to 2022; 2) The School of Salamanca and its dialogue with the preachers of the "New World" in the 16th century as a founding analogy of this category; 3) Some fundamental notes that should allow to perceive the complex and at the same time specific reality of this category and that should be present for an adequate understanding and implementation of the "Salamanca Process."


The effect of noise on the possible occurrence of chaos in systems with a homoclinic orbit (e.g., the Duding equation) was recently considered by Bulsara, Schieve, and Jacobs [Phys. Rev. A 41, 668 (1990)], and Schieve and Bulsara [Phys. Rev. A 41, 1172 (1990)], who adopted an approach based on a redefinition of the Melnikov function. We show that this redefinition is unsatisfactory and leads to incorrect results


The invention discloses a rehabilitation robot control system which comprises human-machine interface equipment 1, an upper computer PC 2, a multi-axis motion controller 4, a motor control unit 5, a sensing unit 6 and a CAN (controller area network) bus 7. The rehabilitation robot control system ensures that postures of a robot and a patient are balanced in a rehabilitation training process; the reliability, the maintainability and the instantaneity of the system are improved. The invention further discloses a rehabilitation robot control method.


We propose a modified learning process for generalized neural network using a learning algorithm by Liu et al. (2001). We consider the effect of initial weights, training results and learning errors using a modified learning process. We employ an incremental training procedure where training patterns are learned systematically. Our algorithm starts with a single training pattern and a single hidden layer neuron. During the course of neural network training, we try to escape from the local minimum by using a weight scaling technique. We allow the network to grow by adding a hidden layer neuron only after several consecutive failed attempts to escape from a local minimum. Our optimization procedure tends to make the network reach the error tolerance with no or little training after the addition of a hidden layer neuron. Simulation results with suitable initial weights indicate that the present constructive algorithm can obtain neural networks very close to minimal structures and that convergence to a solution in neural network training can be guaranteed. We tested these algorithms extensively with small training sets.


This paper explores photography, the north and the photographic imagination in the UK, Sweden and Finland, from the late 1950s to the present. It cites the work of Sune Jonsson, Martin Parr, Daniel Meadows, Esko Mannikko, Elin Berge and others. Based on the author's ongoing research at the Sune Jonsson archive in Umea, the paper explores Jonsson's work in Vasterbotten, based on research which will be published in its entirety in 2014.