Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) and subsequent nonlinear optical (NLO) systems constitute the backbone of myriad advancements in semiconductor and additive manufacturing, communication networks, biology and medicine, defense and national security, and a host of other sectors over the past decades. Accurately and efficiently modeling CPA and NLO-based laser systems is challenging because of the multitude of coupled linear and nonlinear processes and high variability in modeling frameworks. The lack of fully-integrated modeling tools severely hampers further advances in tailoring existing or materializing new CPA+NLO systems. Emerging optimization and inverse design approaches, data-driven with machine learning methods, will require these fully-integrated modeling tools to meet the big data demand. Here, we present a modular start-to-end software model encompassing an array of amplifier designs and nonlinear optics techniques. The model renders time- and frequency-resolved electromagnetic fields alongside essential physical characteristics of energy, fluence, and spectral distribution. To demonstrate its robustness and real-world applicability–specifically, reverse engineering, system optimization, and inverse design–we present a case study on the LCLS-II photo-injector laser, representative of a high-power and spectro-temporally non-trivial CPA+NLO system.


Underwriters using bookbuilding have discretionary power for allocating shares of initial public offerings (IPOs). Commissions paid to underwriters by investors are one of the determinants of IPO allocations. We test the hypothesis that investors trade liquid stocks in order to affect their IPO allocations. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that money left on the table by IPOs affects the trading volume of the 50 most liquid stocks close to the offer date. For an IPO that leaves $1 billion on the table, in the six days ending on the day that trading commences there is abnormal volume in the 50 most liquid stocks of 2.7 to 4.1%, although only during the internet bubble period is this statistically significant.


Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of disorders with amyloid material deposit in the extracellular compartment of the body as fibrillary protein which may be generalized or localized. Primary amyloidosis of urinary bladder is rare and large lesion measuring more than 8x8cm2 in size is not known. Majority, clinically presents with painless haematuria and irritative voiding symptoms which may confused with diagnosis of bladder carcinoma. Definitive diagnosis is made on histopathogical examination of tissue removed through cystoscopy or biopsy and after special staining. It diagnosis should alert physician to arrange for referral or appropriate investigations. Medical ttreatment using colchicine or dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) has been reported in the literature with good results. However, the majority of cases are still managed by transurethral resections of lesion. To our knowledge, this is first case of giant amyloidosis of urinary bladder managed by segmental cystectomy.


The application areas of island thin films are considered, and the relevance of their application is presented. The choice of the method for formation island thin films and nanostructures is justified. A design of the thermal evaporation module is proposed and its documentation is developed. The use of it will allow to form continuous and island coatings. Variants for placing the module in the laboratory equipment - MVTU-11-1MS are considered. The analysis of the evaporator configurations was carried out and the type of evaporator – «tape» evaporator, was selected. The necessary calculations are presented: evaporator resistance (2,31 mOm) and thermal calculation (1200 K, 20), – this contributed the design of the module and the materials selection of its components.


In our roles as both lecturer (Janet) and student (Simon) in a first-year university course called "Foundations of Learning Outside the Classroom," we developed a deep intimacy with Learning Outside the Classroom: Theory and Guidelines for Practice (2012). It is written by three highly qualified Scottish academics: Simon Beames, Peter Higgins, and Robbie Nicol and is published by Routledge Press. Although clearly grounded in Scottish heritage and the authors' socio-cultural context, the text has theoretical and practical relevance for an international readership.


To directly measure the various dimensions of the RWN focusing on the bony overhang and the vertical height between the free margin of the bony overhang and floor of the niche.


Performance of a J2EE application is influenced by the underlying infrastructure, operating system and middleware parameters. Usually a reactive approach of testing is used to configure these, which is costly and lengthy. Consequently a proactive approach of performance modeling is required. Layered Queuing Networks and Queuing Petri Nets are two such effective techniques for tuning environment. This paper articulates our experiences with these techniques for a J2EE application. The relative attributes of the two techniques are listed to provide an insight on their suitability in a context.


The present research work was carried out in the period 2017 in the Exito Bookstore which is dedicated to the commercialization of school supplies distributing wholesale and retail in the various sectors of Riobamba and its surroundings.
Being a company well known for having the best products and topicality, quality and good treatment to people, this is why research focuses on the perception of how customers get their types, satisfaction their elements and service in the Customer Support.
We worked with a base of the economically active population of 400 people of the city of Riobamba included in the age range from 18 to 65 years according to the INEC, the descriptive and field inductive method was applied with a non-experimental design.
We used techniques and instruments such as surveys which helped us to know if the company meets their expectations and that should be changed to achieve the objectives set to meet their needs at the time of purchase and improve in terms of service being more agile and competitive in the market.
That is why some service strategies have been suggested to improve the service provided, which is aimed at attracting new customers and their loyalty.


Diabetic foot ulcers infected with antibiotic‐resistant bacteria form a severe complication of diabetes. Antimicrobial‐loaded hydrogels are used as a dressing for infected wounds, but the ongoing rise in the number of antimicrobial‐resistant infections necessitates new, nonantibiotic based designs. Here, a guanosine‐quadruplex (G4)‐hydrogel composed of guanosine, 2‐formylphenylboronic acid, and putrescine is designed and used as a cascade‐reaction container. The G4‐hydrogel is loaded with glucose‐oxidase and hemin. The first cascade‐reaction, initiated by glucose‐oxidase, transforms glucose and O2 into gluconic acid and H2O2. In vitro, this reaction is most influential on killing Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa in suspension, but showed limited killing of bacteria in biofilm‐modes of growth. The second cascade‐reaction, however, transforming H2O2 into reactive‐oxygen‐species (ROS), also enhances killing of biofilm bacteria due to hemin penetration into biofilms and interaction with eDNA G‐quadruplexes in the biofilm matrix. Therewith, the second cascade‐reaction generates ROS close to the target bacteria, facilitating killing despite the short life‐time of ROS. Healing of infected wounds in diabetic mice proceeds faster upon coverage by these G4‐hydrogels than by clinically common ciprofloxacin irrigation. Moreover, local glucose concentrations around infected wounds decrease. Concluding, a G4‐hydrogel loaded with glucose‐oxidase and hemin is a good candidate for infected wound dressings, particularly in diabetic patients.


This strategic planning for the agriculture in the Ancash region has been created based on the Strategic Process methodology, developed by D'Alessio (2015). The sector will continue to produce and export its main goods, which are asparagus, avocado and alfalfa, but with technology and skilled labor, generating more productivity and profitability. By the year 2027, the sector will own the third place at the national level, with high productivity and added value, exporting diverse products and operating in a sustainable way to promote the economic development of the population. This is in line with long-term objectives such as increasing the agricultural area and the hectares with irrigation system. In order to achieve this vision and its respective objectives, intensive strategies will be implemented, which were selected through in-depth analysis: (a) developing the Asian avocado market, (b) penetrate the alfalfa market in the United States, (c) penetrate the national market with various products, (d) to develop the production and marketing of cassava, oca and olluco; (e) developing avocado products, (f) developing preserved asparagus, (g) develop frozen, readyto-fry potatoes; and (h) developing processed animal feed products from hard yellow maize.


Actinomyces odontolyticus and A. viscosus are designated as group E and group F in the serological grouping of the Actinomyces.


In this work, we designed and synthesized a series of novel triazolopyridine fused-ring compounds with alternating nitro and amine groups. Three compounds showed remarkable thermal stability at 256, 310, and 294 °C, respectively, and a low mechanical sensitivity [impact sensitivity (IS) = 40 J, friction sensitivity (FS) = 324 N; IS = 35 J, FS = 240 N; and IS > 40 J, FS = 324 N, respectively]. Significantly, two of these compounds exhibited a better detonation performance [detonation velocity (D) = 8200 and 8335 m s–1, Detonation pressure (P) = 25.6 and 27.2 GPa, respectively] than the widely used heat-resistant explosive hexanitrostilbene (HNS; D = 7612 m s–1, P = 24.3 GPa). Additionally, a nitramine derivative displayed a detonation performance (D = 8569 m s–1, P = 31.3 GPa) similar to that of the high-energy explosive RDX. The superior properties of the materials were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis and by several theoretical calculations (ESP, LOL–π, Hirshfeld surfaces, RDG, and NCI analyses). These results indicated that the three compounds might be potential candidates for use as heat-resistant energetic materials.


The use of entropy or potential temperature as the vertical coordinate appears to be an attractive option for modelling the stratosphere. Diabatic heating is small in the stratosphere, and, to the extent that it is small, the flow becomes quasi-horizontal along isentropic surfaces, so that any numerical errors associated with vertical advection should be reduced. Moreover, the difficulties of handling the bottom boundary at the Earth's surface, for example through the use of massless layers or through a hybrid terrain-following coordinate, are far removed. In view of the growing importance of a good representation of the stratosphere for numerical weather prediction and data assimilation, it is appropriate to review both the difficulties and advantages of using an isentropic coordinate.


Natural Parameter Method is a kind of new method of wellbore trajectory computation succeeding Cylinder Helix Method(Radius of Curvature Method) and Minimum Curvature Method.The method is widely used in wellbore trajectory design and computation.By comparing and analyzing Natural Parameter Method with Cylinder Helix Method(Radius of Curvature Method) and Minimum Curvature Method,average discrepancies of computational bottom hole spacing are about 0.02m and 0.2m per kilometer respectively.Both statistical analysis and practical computation examples show that it is suitable for rotary system and slipping system and has high computation precision.


The paper discusses some 3D simulations to compute the ionizing radiation dose during laser-plasma experiments leading to the generation of accelerated protons and electrons. Also, we suggest a new method to increase the measurement resolution of the proton energy spectrum. Monte-Carlo simulations of the radiation doses map around the laser-foil interaction point are performed using Geant4 General Particle Source code and the particular geometry chosen for the experimental setup. We obtain the map of the radiation dose distribution for high-power laser - thin solid target experiments, considering a cubic geometry of the interaction chamber. The computed radiation dose distribution shows a good agreement with various, previously obtained experimental results, and could be a step towards simulating the radiation environment inside of a spacecraft. To characterize the laser-plasma accelerated protons, we introduce a new method to enhance the measurement resolution of the proton energy spectrum by employing a stack of thin solid detectors, preferably CR-39. Each detector is thinner than the Bragg peak region on the Bragg curve that characterizes the loss of kinetic energy as a function of the particle penetration depth in the detector material. The relevance of this method for space radiation characterization and cybersecurity insurance is highlighted.


A survey ethnomedicinal plants of forest area of Raigad district has been carried out during the year 2017-18. During study medicinal plants have been identified for the various medicinal properties. The present study revealed in forest area of Raigad district at different localities. The information pertaining to botanical name, common name, family, morphology, parts used and medicinal properties was identified with the help of local population. The survey investigated 294 wild medicinal plant species belonging to 255 genera and 90 families. Out of these wild medicinal plants 18 species belongs to the family Fabaceae, 12 Species from Euphorbiaceae, 11 Species from Malvaceae, 10 species each from Apocynaceae, Caesalpinaceae; Remaining families are having less than nine species each. Life forms indicated that trees were dominating (37%) followed by herbs (29%), shrubs (18%), climber (8%), creepers, grasses, lianas, twiners (2%) each. The plant parts like root, rhizome, bulb, stem, bark, root bark, latex, leaves, gum, gum-resin, flower, peduncle, arillus, fruit, tuber, oil, seed, sap, shoot, resin and whole plant are used for the treatment of various diseases. Medicinal plants are globally valuable sources of herbal products, and they are disappearing at a high speed due to activities carried out by human as result of over-exploitation, industrialization, development projects and civilization. Therefore, there is need of the management of traditional medicinal plants conservation strategies i.e. in-situ and ex-situ conservation and cultivation practices and resource management i.e. good agricultural practices and sustainable use solutions.


This paper presents an overview of the efforts associated with integrating a new torque measurement system for T408 engines into an NCH-47D airframe and performance of the torque measurement system during operation on the aircraft. The effort described was performed collaboratively between GE Aviation, The Boeing Co, Parker LORD, and DEVCOM AvMC. The Torque Measurement System was utilized in the T408 Engine Control System during its demonstration on an NCH-47D airframe at Ft. Eustis, VA. In addition, based on DEVCOM AvMC program requirements, health monitoring capability was successfully implemented and demonstrated during the NCH-47D T408 Engine Demonstration. Lessons learned from the torque measurement system's health monitoring features are included.


This contribution is a study of structure, imagery, Platonic allusions, and meaning in Dio Chrysostom's dialogue Charidemos. It focuses on the frame dialogue as well as the deathbed speech of Charidemos which constitutes the core of the text, and examines the dualities and dramatized oppositions between conflicting worldviews represented by the two interlocutors in the frame conversation and the two logoi in the deathbed speech. In particular, it studies Dio's creation of a dramatic sense of contrast between "pessimistic" and "optimistic" visions and argues that the Charidemos is a work of purposeful ambiguity, testifying to Dio's interest in juxtaposing divergent personalities and worldviews. Dio Chrysostom's Charidemos opens with an introductory conversation between Timarchos, the father of the recently deceased young Charidemos, and an unnamed visitor who knew the youth and has now learnt about his death. The exchange between these two characters constitutes a frame for the lengthy deathbed speech by Charidemos, read by Timarchos upon his interlocutor's request, which is built of two separate logoi offering two different visions of human life. Only recently has the question of the text's authenticity ceased to dominate scholarly discussion and the complex, polyphonic nature of the dialogue has begun to be explored by scholars, especially by M. menchelli and J. moles. However, due to rich texture of the text, which abounds in imagery, metaphors, literary allusions, and a fair amount of very Dionian ambiguity, there remains much that can be said about the dialogue, its structure, and its meaning. This contribution focuses on aspects of the dialogue which have not yet been treated extensively by scholars; it also reconsiders the scholarly interpretation of 1 The authenticity of the Charidemos was questioned by von arnim 1898: 283 who believed that Charidemos was a real person and that the deathbed speech ("ganz und gar nicht dionisch") must have been composed by him; in his opinion, Dio was responsible only for the frame dialogue. desideri 1978: 185, n. 19 followed von arnim and denied the Charidemos authenticity altogether. The authenticity of the dialogue was defended by wilhelM 1918: 365 and cytowska 1952, and now seems to be generally accepted. For a more detailed discussion of the authorship, see menchelli 1999: 29–37. 2 menchelli 1999; moles 2000. KATARZYNA JAŻDŻEWSKA 68 certain passages. The first part is dedicated to the opening dialogue: it examines its structure and the compositional techniques employed by Dio, the characters of the interlocutors, and the main themes introduced. In the second part, I inspect the two logoi which constitute Charidemos' deathbed speech and their message. In my examination of the first logos, I will pay special attention to reminiscences from Plato's Phaedo, by means of which Dio creates a grim and dark vision of human life. In my reading of the second logos, I will argue that though it presents a vision much brighter and more colorful than the first one, it is hardly an "optimistic" worldview. In particular, I will discuss the relationship between the two songs of the peasant, the ambiguity of the symposion-metaphor, and the problematic nature of the earthly goods. In the conclusion, I will reflect on the overall nature of the text and relationships between its parts. REMEMBERING CHARIDEMOS: THE OPENING DIALOGUE The opening of the Charidemos consists of a dialogue between Timarchos, the father of the recently deceased young Charidemos, and an unnamed visitor who knew the youth and has recently learnt about his death. Their short exchange (seven chapters out of forty six), which constitutes a frame for the lengthy deathbed speech by Charidemos, has several functions: it outlines the situation and provides a context for the subsequent speech, presents the interlocutors and their personalities, and finally draws a sketchy portrait of Charidemos, thereby preparing the reader for the speech and raising some questions and expectations. The opening conversation is the only dialogic part of the Charidemos, locating 3 Timarchos' interlocutor is labelled in modern editions and translations of the Charidemos as "Dio". His name, however, appears nowhere in the text and speaker indications were not regularly used in the first century CE: they are missing from both the manuscripts (I was able to inspect manuscript M; for manuscript details see menchelli 1999: 111 f.) and early editions and translations of Dio, e.g. Dionis Chrysostomi Orationes LXXX apposita est in extremo libro uarietas lectionum cum orationum indice (Venetiis 1551); Dionis Chrysostomi Orationes LXXX, ed. Th. nageorgus, F. morellus (Lutetiae 1604), or Selected Essays of Dio Chrysostom, transl. G. wakeField (London 1800). For the indications of speakers in antiquity in general, see wilson 1970; liM 1991. I believe that the conventional straightforward identification of Timarchos' interlocutor with Dio lends the unnamed speaker an air of authority and diverts readers from a careful examination of his words, from which the character of the speaker is supposed to emerge. For a contrary view, see moles 2000: 188 n. 4 and 192; he argues that Dio's name is implicit in the text. 4 The opening dialogue has been little studied, its function being reduced to "holding" Charidemos' speech. moles 2000 is an exception: he traces numerous themes and motifs signalled in the opening conversation which recur in the subsequent part. 5 Dio himself considered character-sketching as an essential component of Platonic dialogue (Or. 55, 12), although he admitted that most people do not pay attention to the characterization of the interlocutors: οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ μάτην οἴονται τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγεσθαι καὶ ὄχλον ἄλλως καὶ φλυαρίαν ἡγοῦνται ("on other hand, most men suppose that such items are purposeless, and they regard them as vexation and nonsense"). DIO CHRYSOSTOM'S CHARIDEMOS: A STUDY 69 the speech within a dialogic context; and it is the reason why the text is classified as a dialogue at all. The opening dialogue conveys the illusion of a real conversation, "overheard" by the reader as if by a chance passer-by, an effect Dio acquires by the consistent suppressing of information. We can see this technique at work from the very beginning: in the opening sentence the visitor explains how he acquired the information about Charidemos' death: as soon as he arrived "here", δευρί, he asked around about certain people he knew, and particularly about "these two" (περί τε ἄλλων τινῶν καὶ μάλιστα δὴ περὶ τούτων ἀμφοτέρων). Then, he encountered an unidentified man (τις), who informed him that the younger of them was in Messene with the father on account of mourning for the older brother, in this manner conveying the information about the death of Charidemos. The visitor was deeply disturbed: at first, he could not believe it, and only after some time had passed (αὖθις) did he accept the truth. This short account is followed by an expression of grief, and the audience realizes that the unnamed speaker is talking with the father of Charidemos. The temporality of the dialogue hinges upon the sequence of three events: the death of Charidemos, the arrival of the visitor at an unspecified place where he found out about the youth's death, and finally the moment of the current conversation. The exact temporal relations between the three events are blurred: we do not know how much time passed between Charidemos' death and the visitor's conversation with the unidentified man, nor between that conversation and his meeting with Timarchos. The temporal vocabulary (πρὸ ἱκανοῦ, αὖθις) is resolutely vague. Also, we are lacking clear spatial markers. The only place name which appears thus far, Messene, does not help to locate the conversation: we do not know where the visitor arrived, where the conversation takes place, from where the family had to travel to Messene to mourn Charidemos, and if there is any particular significance of Messene at all. This purposeful vagueness, consisting of hinting at a place or event and subsequently suppressing the information, creates a certain depth for the characters, who seem to have a life which extends beyond the reality of the dialogue. The imitation of reality in the opening dialogue is counterweighted by another kind of imitation, namely the imitation of a literary model, Plato's Phaedo. The frame dialogue of the Charidemos does not evoke the Phaedo by means of 6 Throughout the paper I am relying on the standard edition of Dio's works: von arnim 1962: 295–306. 7 meiser 1912: 14 suggested that the phrase τοῦτον τὸν Ὀπούντιον (Charid. 3) indicates that the conversation might have taken place in Opus or its vicinity. 8 hirzel 1895: 111 rather unflatteringly called the Charidemos "ein später und etwas entarteter Nachkömmling des platonischen Phaedo". menchelli 1999: 72 speaks of a "cento" based on the Phaedo. moles 2000: 196 refers to the dialogue as a "creative adaptation of Phaedo", while trapp 2000: 223 f. discusses it as an example of "Platonic mimesis". KATARZYNA JAŻDŻEWSKA 70 verbal references – these only become abundant in the first part of the deathbed speech – but rather thematically and structurally. The dialogue describes the "philosophical death" of the eponymous youth, clearly evoking the image of the dying Socrates. Its main preoccupation is the "proper" behaviour of a person facing death: the visitor wishes to hear Charidemos' last words to see "whether he really died cheerfully and courageously" (Charid. 7). The behaviour of the dying Charidemos is reminiscent of Socrates in two ways: the youth is not affected by the imminence of his death in a way people usually are, and he believes that the best way to spend his last moments is to philosophize and reflect on human nature, life, and death. There is a tension between the two types of imitation – the imitation of reality and the imitation of a literary model – both in the


The increasing rate of post-industrialisation in advanced economies has dramatically impacted on the availability of jobs in male-dominated occupations. Consequently, men with traditional gender attitudes may experience difficulties in finding employment that aligns with their conception of masculinity. Attitudes to gender roles develop during childhood as part of the process of socialisation; thus, family background, and in particular parental education and occupation, may influence the occupational aspirations of young people. To examine the associations between family background, a child's attitudes to gender roles and a child's occupational aspirations, analysis of the German National Education Panel Study (NEPS) Starting Cohort 4 data was conducted. The findings suggest that family background continues to be associated with attitudes to gender roles and occupational aspirations.


Ethanol extracts from Bergenia crassifolia (L.) Fritsch. green leaves exhibit antioxidant properties. The most significant activity has been observed for 70% ethanol extract, which is a typical acceptor of peroxy radicals. Fractionation of the active extract yielded chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions, which also showed a pronounced antioxidant action. Phenolic compounds (hydroquinone, quercetin, dihydroquercetin, rutin, gallic acid, esculetin) also exhibited significant antioxidant activity comparable with that of ionol.


Forces that will increasingly shape the horticultural industry during the 1980s include the higher cost of energy, growing public concern about the environment, and the wide-spread use of microelectronics. Technical problems and scientific advances within horticulture will have a significant influence on current practice.


Corresponding author: Corazon A. Ngelangel, MD, MS, PhD Section of Medical Oncology Department of Medicine Philippine General Hospital University of the Philippines Manila Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000 Philippines Tele/Fax: +632 5263775 Email: email@example.com Correlation between Demographic, Socio-economic, and Cancer-specific Factors with Quality of Life Scores among Newly-Diagnosed Cancer Patients of the Medical Oncology Clinics of the Philippine General Hospital Cancer Institute


Techniques are used for predicting communication for using, including routing of data traffic, instant messaging preferences and settings. Or voice network is not available, or for other reasons, a voice call can be routed through a packet-based network. In addition to voice calls, embodiments of the invention can route video calls, multimedia communications and other communications. In some implementations, an instant message, the current status can be queried to determine how to route a VOIP or PSTN phone calls. Therefore, if detected on a computer or computing device that is relevant to the position being related to the PSTN telephone line Instant Messenger, the current state calls, calls can be routed to the computer or computing device. Voice calls, packet-based network, the voice trunk signaling, telephone


Cooperative diversity technique refers to that in the context of multi-users, several single antenna terminals create a virtual multi-antenna system to realize the dispatch and diversity of the periodic line by means of share each others antenna. The remarkable strong point of the cooperative diversity technique is that it can reduce the transmission power of the system, improve its handing capacity and effectively decrease its error rate. This paper is going to analyze the application of the cooperative diversity technique on the wireless communication technology and present the main problems of the cooperative diversify technique by introducing the related conceptions of the cooperative diversity technique.


The absorption maxima in the spectra of NiCl2 in molten LiCl/KCl are discussed from the point of view of the ligand field theory. It is concluded that the nickel ion is surrounded by four chloride ions in a nearly tetrahedral arrangement. Variations in the intensity of one of the bands gives a sensitive indication of the degree of distortion of this structure.


We present here results of magnetic field measurements for a group of five classical Be stars obtained using low-resolution spectropolarimetry with Fors 1 at the Vlt. We were not able to diagnose a magnetic field in excess of 100 G in any of the studied Be stars. In addition, we show the new magnetic field measurements of the very young early-type object HD 190073 of spectral type A2III-B9IVep+sh with a strong wind and a dense circumstellar disk.


We incorporate strong negation in the theory of computable functionals TCF, a common extension of Plotkin's PCF and G\"{o}del's system $\mathbf{T}$, by defining simultaneously the strong negation $A^{\mathbf{N}}$ of a formula $A$ and the strong negation $P^{\mathbf{N}}$ of a predicate $P$ in TCF. As a special case of the latter, we get the strong negation of an inductive and a coinductive predicate of TCF. We prove appropriate versions of the Ex falso quodlibet and of the double negation elimination for strong negation in TCF, and we study the so-called tight formulas of TCF i.e., formulas implied from the weak negation of their strong negation. We present various case-studies and examples, which reveal the naturality of our definition of strong negation in TCF and justify the use of TCF as a formal system for a large part of Bishop-style constructive mathematics.


The dissertation is focused on the analysis and optimization of quantitative imaging of reflective surfaces by means of reflected-light digital holographic microscope which was designed and constructed at the Institute of Physical Engineering. The principle of the microscope is based on off-axis holography with spatially and temporally incoherent illumination. Image intensity together with image phase can be reconstructed from a single output image plane hologram. High precision profilometry measurement with nanometer scale in the optical axis direction can be carried out by this microscope due to its imaging characteristic. The aim of the presented thesis is a measurement methodology proposal together with its experimental verification. The methodology covers factors which have a significant influence on the final output image and consequently on the correct image interpretation. The character of the investigated surface topography determines the measurement methodology, therefore the basic classification of surfaces according to the imaging characteristics of the microscope is presented. Comprehension of the imaging process of the reflected-light digital holographic microscope is essential for the results interpretation. For that reason the dissertation is concerned with the theoretical description of specific surface structures imaging. For the theoretical description of imaging process the formalism of kinematic theory of diffraction is used. Kĺıčová slova Digitálńı holografická mikroskopie, profilometrie, sledováńı a měřeńı povrchu, rozlǐsovaćı schopnost, spektrálńı hustota osvětleńı, optický řez, osová intenzitńı odezva, stabilizace.


Annotation. The article is about the problem of the rules change influence on Greco-Roman wrestlers' competitive activity. Many research workers and experts affirm that the changes of competition rules influenced the quality of wrestling and it demands reasonable changes in the methodology of sportsmen training. Research methods: scientific and methodical literature analysis, video materials analysis, statistical manipulation of mathematical data. Materials: To reveal the peculiarities of the competitive activity after the rules change in 2013 we carried out the comparative analysis of Russian Championship 2006 and Russian Championship 2013 in all weight categories. Results: 198 combats were analyzed by means of quantitative - qualitative analysis method of the competitive activity with the help of the video materials. Conclusion: The analysis of the video materials showed that that the changes had positive impact on the wrestlers' activity. Wrestling became more dynamic but as the rules of the previous years provided standard positions, which mainly defined the winner, wrestlers' technical arsenal turned out to be low and this influenced the quality and quantity indices of the technical actions and success. The research results reveal the necessity of the Greco-Roman wrestlers' training process perfection taking into account the changes of competition rules. New rules demand hard and intensive work both in technical and physical training.


Spectrum-efficient modulations in modern wireless systems often result in large peak-to-average power ratios (PAPRs) for the transmitted signals. Therefore, PA efficiency at deep power back-off (PBO) levels (e.g., -12dB) becomes critical to extend the mobile's battery life. Classic techniques, i.e., outphasing, envelope tracking, and Doherty PAs, offer marginal efficiency improvement at deep PBO in practice. Dual-mode PAs require switches at the PA output for high-/low-power mode selection [1,2], posing reliability and linearity challenges. Although simple supply switching (Class-G) is effective at deep PBO, it only offers Class-B-like PBO efficiency in each supply mode [3,4]. Multi-level outphasing PA requires multiple supplies and frequent supply switching [5], resulting in substantial DC-DC converter overhead and exacerbated switching noise.


Knowledge Service is to provide users with the knowledge and problem solutions.Firstly,this article probes workflow and hierarchical structure of college library knowledge service.Secondly,it advances measures to implement college library knowledge service as viewed from management mechanisms,organizational structure,co-operation mechanism,human resources,tacit knowledge,reader training etc.


SinoCor, a body-motion detection and correction tool for nuclear imaging has been developed. It is currently provided as a JAVA-based plug-in for ImageJ for use with data acquired via Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scans. SinoCor works only in the sinogram space without going through any back-projection operation. It provides automatic correction for both interframe and intra-frame motion. Inter-frame motion occurs if the subject shifts location in-between two frame acquisitions during the tomographic imaging. The intra-frame motion happens when the shift occurs when a particular frame is being acquired.


Carbon is among the most abundant substances in the universe; although severely depleted in Earth, it is the primary structural element in biochemistry. Complex interactions between carbon and climate have stabilized the Earth system over geologic time. Since the modern instrumental CO2 record began in the 1950s, about half of fossil fuel emissions have been sequestered in the oceans and land ecosystems. Ocean uptake of fossil CO2 is governed by chemistry and circulation. Net land uptake is surprising because it implies a persistent worldwide excess of growth over decay. Land carbon sinks include ( a) CO2 fertilization, ( b) nitrogen fertilization, ( c) forest regrowth following agricultural abandonment, and ( d ) boreal warming. Carbon sinks in both land and oceans are threatened by warming and are likely to weaken or even reverse as emissions fall with the potential for amplification of climate change due to the release of previously stored carbon. Fossil CO2 will persist for centuries and perhaps many millennia after emissions cease. ▪ About half the carbon from fossil fuel combustion is removed from the atmosphere by sink processes in the land and oceans, slowing the increase of CO2 and global warming. These sinks may weaken or even reverse as climate warms and emissions fall. ▪ The net land sink for CO2 requires that plants have been growing faster than they decay for many decades, causing carbon to build up in the biosphere over and above the carbon lost to deforestation, fire, and other disturbances. ▪ CO2 uptake by the oceans is slow because only the surface water is in chemical contact with the air. Cold water at depth is physically isolated by its density. Deep water mixes with the surface in about 1,000 years. The deep water does not know we are here yet! ▪ After fossil fuel emissions cease, much of the extra CO2 will remain in the atmosphere for many centuries or even millennia. The lifetime of excess CO2 depends on total historical emissions; 10% to 40% could last until the year 40,000 AD. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 50 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Progress is reported on four tasks: (1) component development, (2) cell testing, (3) stack design and development, and (4) modeling and systems analysis. A hydrogen sintering furnace capable of producing 0.5 sq meter electrodes was installed and operating procedures are being established. To develop stabilized anode structures, a fine particle nickel-cobalt alloy powder was prepared from their hydroxide mixture through the steps of co-precipitation, spray-drying and reduction. Electrodes have been produced for small cell tests using this high surface area alloy powder. The in situ method of electrolyte preparation was studied in detail to establish the effect of various thermal treatments and to optimize the reagent processing and mixing techniques. DTA and TGA analysis were performed for the reaction mixture. Procedures were developed for the separate controlled syntheses of ..cap alpha..-..beta..-..gamma..-lithium aluminates. Metal fiber reinforced tiles were fabricated with fibers of different diameters, lengths and loadings. Equipment has been assembled to conduct potentiostatic corrosion tests on candidate materials for the cell frame and current collector. Efforts were directed towards improving anode and cathode structures, corrosion protection, wet seal efficiency, cell hardware design and thermal cycling capabilities. A steady performance has been achieved for 1300 hours, with the test continuing. (WHK)


Page 4 Narrative I. Background and Significance 5 II. Preliminary Studies 7 III. Research Design and Methods 10 A. Scientific Problems and Theoretical Methods for Metal Nanoparticle and Hybrid Nanophotonics Systems, and their Assemblies 10 A.1. Electrodynamics 10 A.2. Structural, Electronic, and Optical Properties 13 B. Applied Mathematics and Software Development 18 C. Summary: Anticipated Major Research Progress 20 IV. Literature Cited 22 V. Budget and Budget Explanation VI. Other Support of Investigators VII. Biographical Sketches VIII. Description of Facilities and Resources


Protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the process of ischemic preconditioning (IPC), although the precise mechanism is still a subject of debate. Using specific PKC inhibitors, we investigated whic...


Abstract A set Q is quasi-ordered if a reflexive and transitive relation ≤ is defined on Q. It is well-quasi-ordered if it is quasi-ordered and, for every infinite sequence u1, u2,… of elements of Q, there exist i, j such that i < j and ui ≤ uj. A lower set of Q is a subset P of Q such that, if x ≤ y ∈ P, then x ∈ P. The class of lower sets of Q, quasi-ordered by ⊂, is denoted by LQ, and L2Q = L(LQ), etc. The set (, say) of all finite trees is quasi-ordered by writing T1 ≤ T2 if T1 is homeomorphic to a subtree of T2. It is proved that is well-quasi-ordered for all n.


By means of a high-statistics Monte Carlo simulation, Fisher scaling is studied for pure SU(2) and SU(3) lattice gauge theory. In both cases 2/sup ++/ is found to be the lowest state above the vacuum, and the m-italic(0/sup ++/)/m(2/sup ++/) glueball mass ratio is slightly larger than 1. For SU(2), Monte Carlo data smoothly continue the analytic M-italic(0/sup ++/)/m(2/sup ++/) small-volume calculation towards the infinite-volume continuum limit. New results for the ratio between the square root of the string tension and the mass gap are also reported.


A basic understanding of the legislative process, or how ideas become the law of the land, is indispensable for political action. With a solid knowledge of how the system works, nurses are able to determine when and how to summon up their collective voices. This article is intended as a primer for any nurse who wants to learn and understand the legislative, lawmaking process at the federal level. In addition, information will be provided that details which committees in Congress are responsible for bills that pertain to health issues.


The right of ethnic minorities, particularly those of the Rohingyas, have been continually and repeatedly denied in Myanmar. When Aung San Suu Kyi's party came into power, the right of various ethnic groups, especially the rights of Rohingyas during Suu Kyi's regime were violated. Unfortunately, the conditions for the Rohingya have continued to worsen. The findings of this research show that the human rights of Rohingya in Myanmar were challenged during Aung San Suu Kyi's so-called democratic regime via ethnic cleansing owing to the absence of real democratic norms, unequal treatment, and state-sponsored violations of human rights against the Rohingya community. The key reasons behind the failure to ensure the rights of the ethnic Muslim minority include militarism in the democratic structure, a lack of democratic institutions, international politics and the interest of powerful countries, a lack of democratic culture, and an aggressive attitude towards the Rohingya. Finally, the paper proposes some policy implications.


High energy electron diffraction is sensitive to details in charge and potential distribution since scattering occurs by the net charge or electrostatic potential. Several techniques have been developped for characterization the atomic and electronic structure at or near interfaces: convergent beam profiles critical voltage effect in electron diffraction reflection/refraction at interfaces. Appplications are shown to bulk semiconductors single interfaces and multilayers.


This publication gathers contributions addressing challenges posed to the Rule of Law. Several of the articles deal with challenges related to the right to privacy while most of the articles deal w ...


[Objective] The research aimed to separate extreme halophilic and alkaliphilic fungi from the soil samples in Qinghai Chaka Lake.[Method] The spread plate method and streaking were adopted.[Result]Two fungal,five bacteria and three actinomyces were separated.The maximum growth of two fungal was appeared at the first eight days.The halophilic and alkaliphilic of two fungal were studied.[Conclusion] CF12-1 grew at 15% salinity was the extreme halophile.CF12-2 stopped growth at 12% and 15% salinity was the moderate halophile.CF12-1 and CF12-2 grew under pH 10 were the extreme alhallphiles.


The distribution of striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax, in the Pacific Ocean is known to form a horseshoe-shaped pattern, extending both ways to the northwestern and southwestern Pacific with the eastern tropical Pacific the apex. The southern Coral Sea fishing ground which is located in the western extremity of the South Pacific Ocean is known to be an important spawning ground for the species. To study the spawning stock, the author examined the fishing season, the shifts in fishing grounds, and the movement pattern of the striped marlin through the analysis of data obtained from the tuna longline fishery. The results were as follows: 1. The catch rate (catch per 100hooks) of striped marlin in the southern Coral Sea usually begins to increase in September, and the fishing season continues until January. The fishing season peaks between November and December. 2. The productive fishing grounds in November and December are located in the area from lat. 20°-30°S, long. 154°-160°E, and also along lat. 20°S in waters off the northwestern coast of New Caledonia. 3. Based on the movement of the fishing grounds, it can be surmised that the striped marlin occurring in the southern Coral Sea have their origin in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In September through the area bounded by lat. 25°-25°S, long. 170°W-180° and later through the area bounded by lat. 25°-30°S, long. 170°E-180°. They subsequently congregate around lat. 25°-30°S, long. 160°E. The movement in the southern Coral Sea is towards the north beginning in October, and southward beginning in January.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of metabolic syndromes that is characterized by the excessive accumulation of blood glucose, also called as hyperglycemia, and carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism disorder. The antioxidant compounds on Ipomoea reptans possesses the pharmacological activity on DM with low absorption in systemic circulation. The absorption and penetration properties of the extract can be improved by making it into the SNEDDS (Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery) dosage form. Stability is one of the factors that affect the safety, quality and efficacy of the SNEDDS dosage form. This study aimed to evaluate the stability of Ipomoea reptans extract (IpE) SNEDDS. The IpE SNEDDS was made using myritol as the oil phase, tween 20 as surfactants, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 as the cosurfactant. The stability study was conducted with several physical stability tests, which were centrifugation test, heating-cooling cycle test, and freeze-thaw cylcle test. The result indicated that the particle size of the IpE SNEDDS was ≤ 200nm and indicated good physical stability. It can be concluded that the IpE SNEDDS possesses good stability profile.


A review is presented of the chemistry of the anhydrous rare-earth halides. Topical emphasis is placed on the current state of chemical development in this field, preparation and purification methods, properties of the simple halides, the oxyfluorides, rare-earth metal-trihalide systems, complex ha lides, phase diagrams, and absorption spectra. Tabular data are included which summarize the currently available data on physical properties, oxidation potentials, crystallographic properties, and phase equilibria.


Cobet proposed insertion of r;, paleographically easy but linguistically unnecessary. The pattern of expression, r/v . . . awavTTiaaaa, invites comparison with that studied by H. B. Rosen, "Die 'zweiten' Tempora des Griechischen: Zum Pradikatsausdruck beim griechischen Ver bum," Museum Helveticum 14 (1957), pp. 133-54. Thanks to the efforts of H. J. Polotsky,2 whose work serves as the basis for Rosen's investigation, we know that Coptic employs two special constructions in order to give prominence to an element of a sentence other than its verb; the choice between these constructions depends on whether the emphasis is on an adverbial phrase (resulting in a so-called "second


Aim

The aim of the present study was to investigate the intakes of zinc and copper in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a group of Tehranian adults.

Methods

The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 2750 individuals, selected among participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and CVD risk factors were evaluated.

Results

After adjustment of possible confounders, the dietary zinc intake was found to have a negative relation with serum HDL-C (β = −0.47, P = 0.027), triglycerides (TG) (β = −0.003, P = 0.032) and 2-hour blood glucose (β = −1.6, P = 0.017) levels in women. Prevalence of MetS was not associated with dietary zinc intake when confounding factors were included in the statistical model. Comparing the highest versus the lowest intake categories of dietary copper, the multivariable adjusted odds ratios for HDL-C, fasting blood glucose(FBG), TG and MetS were 1.75 (1.43–2.25)(P for trend = 0.003), 0.90 (0.76–1.23)(P for trend = 0.017), 0.11(0.08–0.21) (P for trend = 0.042) and 0.19 (0.15–0.38)(P for trend = 0.023), respectively.

Conclusions

The results indicate gender differences in the association between zinc intake and CVD risk factors; in women, lower consumption of dietary zinc was associated with increased levels of serum TG and 2-hour BG and decreased levels of HDL-C, while Copper intake was negatively associated with higher risk of MetS and its components (FBG, HDL-C and TG).


Abstract: The established pattern of land use in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is being challenged by China's rapid overall economic transition. The provision of required land-related functions and services is subject to land management decision making. Scientific research can offer substantial support for this decision making by providing evidence of the interaction between land management and land function services. This paper's objective was to identify the most important land use functions and services from a local perspective and to compare these functions and services with the land-related research topics addressed in the scientific literature. For this purpose, we conducted a workshop with local stakeholders (land use decision makers) in the West Ujimqin Banner (Inner Mongolia) as a specific case study and performed a comprehensive survey of the Inner Mongolian land use research published in international scientific journals. Our analysis indicated that the stakeholders assigned particular importance to social land use functions, such as jobs, as well as environmental land use functions and ecosystem processes. In contrast, the research topics were primarily concerned with natural science. We discussed possible shortcomings in the research agenda by emphasising and contrasting local stakeholder perspectives with the research topics and concluded that without bottom-up stakeholder participation, there would be a mismatch between the research interests of land use scientists and the needs of stakeholders. Future research that can contribute to local policy making with the aim of meeting the objectives of a multifunctional land use concept is required.


A k–ε turbulence model for the stable atmosphere is extended for the convective atmosphere. The new model represents the buoyancy-induced increase in the kinetic energy and scale of eddies, and is consistent with the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory for convective atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). After being incorporated into an ABL model with the Coriolis force, the model is tested by comparing the ABL model results with the Businger–Dyer (BD) relationship. ABL model simulations are carried out to reveal the sensitivity of the vertical wind profile to model parameters (e.g., the Obukhov length, friction velocity, and geostrophic wind). When the friction velocity is consistent with geostrophic wind speed (or the turbulence in the inner regime is in equilibrium with that in the outer regime), the modeled wind profile is close to the BD relationship near the ground surface. Otherwise, the modeled wind profile deviates from the BD relationship, resembling the hockey stick transition model.


The initial manifestations of hyperthyroidism frequently involve the cardiovascular system, and elevated thyroid hormone levels can produce a clinical scenario similar to a hyperadrenergic state. While much is known about the effects of thyroid hormone at the molecular level, the reasons why hyperthyroid patients develop atrial fibrillation or reversible cardiomyopathy remain elusive. In addition, recommendations for anticoagulation and appropriate treatment of associated heart failure vary. Using an illustrative case report, the authors discuss the effect of thyroid hormone on the heart, addressing clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, and controversial management issues. They conclude that the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism should be considered in patients with atrial fibrillation and that correct diagnosis is essential to successful management of the consequent cardiovascular manifestations. Hyperthyroidism can present with a broad range of signs and symptoms and frequently involves the cardiovascular system. Although much is known about the effects of thyroid hormone on a molecular and physiologic basis, the possible causal role of hyperthyroidism in atrial fibrillation and reversible cardiomyopathy remains poorly understood. In addition, there are varying approaches to anticoagulation and the treatment of heart failure associated with hyperthyroidism.


The R2C2Fe2(CO)6 complexes obtained from reactions of the alkynes RC≡CR with iron carbonyls are known experimentally to exhibit the following two types of structures: (1) tetrahedrane structures in which the alkyne carbons are incorporated into a central Fe2C2 tetrahedron with a short Fe═Fe distance, suggesting a formal double bond and (2) dichotomy structures in which the alkyne has split into two separate RC carbyne units bridging a singly bonded pair of iron atoms. The relative energies of these two structure types with different substituents R have now been examined using density functional theory. For the dialkylamino derivatives (R′2N)2C2Fe2(CO)6 (R′= CH3, C2H5) the dichotomy structures are preferred energetically over the tetrahedrane structures by 5–11 kcal/mol. For (CH3O)2C2Fe2(CO)6 the dichotomy and tetrahedrane structures have comparable energies. Dichotomy structures as well as tetrahedrane structures were found for (CH3E)2C2Fe2(CO)6 (E = S, Se) but not for (CH3Te)2C2Fe2(CO)6 or (CH3SO)2C2Fe2(...


Aiming at the disadvantages of the commonly used methods of inflexion extracting, a new method of inflexion extracting based on the existing methods is put forward. Its process includes: detecting the edge figure of object; matching the subsection beeline of edge figure; ascertaining the inflexion of image profile at first; combing the subsection of beelines matched; and reducing inflections.


• This talk is about a topic of long-standing interest in the psychology of reasoning: conjunction fallacies. • Tversky and Kahneman (1983) propose that conjunction fallacies arise because experimental participants employ a representativeness heuristic. ◦ Representativeness must be based on a relation of similarity. • We propose instead that the conjunction fallacies arise because experimental participants employ a satisficing heuristic (Simon 1956). ◦ Satisficing is based on a relation of optimization, relative to some defined optimum. • We believe satisficing to be more satisfying, because there are well-defined ways to compute optima. • A feature of previous literature on this problem has been the lack of a compositional analysis of and that predicts the correct pattern of experimental results. • We offer such an analysis, based on a monad built around tropical semirings (Simon 1988).


This paper starts with the analysis of the role of computer network in e-commerce, and then analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of computer network marketing in e-commerce, including the advantages of computer network marketing such as fast speed, wide scope of authority, small investment, and the few customers that e-commerce faces at present. Thirdly, it elaborates the strategy of computer network marketing in e-commerce in the era of rapid development of science and technology. Starting from the needs of the times, while the rapid development of computer network, the computer network marketing strategy in e-commerce has been improved.


Based on the theory of dynamic stability of small disturbance, several typical excitation system models in power system analysis software package (PSASP) are connected to the Phillips-Heffron model in this paper. It derives the detailed excitation system model used for the analysis of low-frequency oscillation in power system and then the particular model is extended to the multi-machine system. An improved eigenvalue sensitivity concept is presented to discuss the effects that different excitation system models and parameters have on low-frequency oscillation .The simulation results show that some parameters of the excitation controller can affect low-frequency oscillation mode clearly and so it is of great importance to set, to identify and to measure these parameters.


Postoperative complications following the resection of oesophago-gastric carcinoma can result in considerable early morbidity and mortality, however the long-term effects are less clear. Literature reports are mixed, so it remains unclear if complications reduce survival, as has been demonstrated in colorectal cancer.

 Some 1100 patients who underwent oesophago-gastric resection between 2006-16 were stratified by complication severity to determine the effect of leak and severe non-leak related complications on overall survival, recurrence and disease free survival.

 The median age was 69 years, 48% had stage III disease, with cancer recurrence in 39%. Clavien-Dindo (CD) complications ≥ III occurred in 22.2% of patients. The most common complications were pulmonary (30%), with a 13% incidence of pneumonia, 10% atrial dysrhythmia and 9.6% anastomotic leak. In comparison to CD 0-I complication free patients, those with CD III-IV leak did not suffer a significantly reduced survival. However patients with CD III-IV non-leak related complications were associated with a significant reduction in median overall survival (19.7 vs. 42.7 months) and disease free survival (18.4 vs. 36.4 months). Cox regression revealed age, stage, resection margin, and CD III-IV non-leak complications as independently associated with poor overall and disease free survival.

 This cohort demonstrates that whilst leak does not affect long-term survival, other severe postoperative complications do significantly reduce overall survival and disease recurrence. A reduction in these complications, such as pneumonia, seen with adoption of hybrid / minimally invasive surgery may help change this pattern of disease recurrence and reduced survival.


We design a linear transceiver in the downlink for a spectrum sharing multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) networks. This linear transceiver ensures that the required quality of service (QoS) is achieved at each user while satisfying the interference constraints on the primary users. Here, certain predefined throughput is considered as a QoS requirement for each user. The original QoS based transceiver design in the downlink is solved by exploiting the stream-wise mean-square error (MSE) duality and based on alternating optimization framework between the uplink and the downlink. From the MSE duality, we propose an iterative algorithm to obtain transceiver filters. In each iteration, the downlink receiver filters are designed based on minimum mean square errors (MMSEs). The virtual uplink receiver filters are designed by solving a quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP), which incorporates the interference constraints on the primary users. The power allocation problem in the virtual uplink is solved using a geometric programming (GP), where the required total transmit power is minimized to satisfy the required rate constraints. The performance of the proposed algorithm is validated through the simulation results.


In May 1997, the USA Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) promulgated final rules that require oil and coalburning electric power plants to report chemical releases under the national Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), established by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986.


There is several types of high performance parallel processing systems, which are developed in order to allow a fast solution for the high complexity problems. Some of these systems, such as: high speed local networks and distributed systems, are implemented in spread environments. Other systems, such as: pipeline computers, array processors, multiprocessor systems, dataflow computers and VLSI computer structures, are implemented in confined environments [1]. This work shows the design and the development of a parallel computer, which can be used in spread or confined environments.


The disclosed spiral separation membrane element is provided with a porous hollow tube (1) having a plurality of through-holes (2) leading from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface thereof, and a laminated body which is wound around the perimeter of the porous hollow tube (1), and which includes a separation membrane and flow channel material. Non-penetrating concave sections (3) are provided in a region on the outer peripheral surface of the porous hollow tube (1) which is covered by the laminate body. In order for permeated liquid to flow into the non-penetrating concave sections (3), the permeated liquid is able to flow smoothly within the non-penetrating concave sections (3), and the resistance to the permeated liquid can be reduced. Therefore, pressure loss is reduced, and the permeated liquid amount can be increased.


Conditional heart rate responses were measured for field-dependent and field-independent subjects. The conditional stimulus (CS) was a colored light and the unconditional stimulus (US) was an electric shock delivered to the finger. The CS-US interval was 10 sec. The field-independent subjects demonstrated an initial cardiac acceleration followed by a cardiac deceleration, whereas the field-dependent subjects showed only the cardiac deceleration. When these data are compared with the previously reported galvanic skin response (GSR) data, a model of sympathetic-parasympathetic reactivity is evolved wherein the field-independent group shows both conditioned sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic activity, while the field-dependent group shows only parasympathetic activity.


Water deficits and high air temperatures occur frequently in southeastern Europe, especially at the grain filling period of winter and spring malting barley. The objective of this paper was to study the grain and malt properties of 32 two-rowed winter and 32 two-rowed spring barley genotypes under moderate and severe drought conditions during grain filling. In moderate drought conditions, spring barley produced 28% lower yields than winter barley and had better mechanical grain characteristics, 2% less grain protein and 3.22% more fine extract. In severe drought conditions, winter barley had yields that were almost two and a half times higher than those of spring barley as well as better mechanical grain characteristics, a lower grain protein content and a higher fine extract content. In agroecological conditions in which stresses caused by drought and high temperatures are possible, both forms of malting barley, winter and spring, should be grown.


Popularization of seawater toilet-flushing is one of the effective measures to solve the shortage of fresh water in coastal cities.Present study status and development tendency of seawater toilet-flushing techniques in the recent years are summarized.Then the present application status of seawater toilet-flushing techniques in Hong Kong and the popularization in the other coastal cities of the continent such as Qingdao etc.are introduced.Finally,the existing problems of popularizing seawater toilet-flushing and their solving measures are discussed and summarized.


Based on micro-electro-mechanical system(MEMS) technology,a miniature high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry(FAIMS) sensor chip was designed and fabricated.The chip's dimensions are 18.8 mm×12.4 mm×1.2 mm.It consists of an ionization region,a drift tube,and an ion detection region.In the ionization region,the sample is ionized by a vacuum ultraviolet ion source at ambient pressure.The produced ions were then focused before entering the drift tube under the influence of the electrical field created by the focusing electrodes in the ionization region,which increased the ion signal intensity.A 200 μm thick silicon wafer was etched by inductively coupled plasma(ICP) and then bonded together with two glass plates sputtered with Au/Cr(300 nm/30 nm) to form a rectangular drift tube with dimensions of 10 mm×5 mm×0.2 mm.The ion detection region is a micro Faraday cup,which is made up of three rows of staggered cylinders of 200 μm in diameter and with a 100 μm spacing interval.The Faraday cup can detect positive and negative ions simultaneously.The FAIMS chip was investigated using high-field asymmetric rectangular waveform power with a peak voltage of 364 V at a frequency of 2 MHz and a duty cycle of 30%.Acetone and toluene samples were used to characterize the sensor chip.With a carrier gas flow rate of 80 L·h-1 and by sweeping the compensation voltage from-10 to 3 V at a 0.1 V steps,acetone and toluene spectra were obtained.The FAIMS-MS experiments further show that ions can be separated and filtered by the FAIMS system.


PREFACE Chapter 1: Introduction and Review Chapter 2: Basic Electrical Components Chapter 3: AC Electricity Chapter 4: Electronics Chapter 5: Pressure Chapter 6: Level Chapter 7: Flow Chapter 8: Temperature and Heat Chapter 9: Humidity, Density, Viscosity, and pH Chapter 10: Other Sensors Chapter 11: Actuators and Control Chapter 12: Signal Conditioning Chapter 13: Signal Transmission Chapter 14: Process Control Chapter 15: Documentation and Symbols APPENDIX A: ANSWERS TO ODD NUMBERED PROBLEMS APPENDIX B: THERMOCOUPLE TABLES APPENDIX C: REFERENCES AND INFORMATION RESOURCES APPENDIX D: ABBREVIATIONS GLOSSARY ANSWERS TO ODD-NUMBERED QUESTIONS INDEX


The monetary policy reaction function of the Bank of England is estimated by the standard GMM approach and the ex ante forecast method developed by Goodhart (2005), with particular attention to the horizons for inflation and output at which each approach gives the best fit. The horizons for the ex ante approach are much closer to what is implied by the Bank's view of the transmission mechanism, while the GMM approach produces an implausibly slow adjustment of the interest rate, and suffers from a weak instruments problem. These findings suggest a strong preference for the ex ante approach.


Although case study research has supposedly been in a crisis for decades (Yin, 1981), Eisenhardt and Graebner suggest that "...papers that build theory from cases are often regarded as the 'most interesting' research..." (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007, p. 25). Researchers agree that case study research can provide a powerful research strategy for theorybuilding in management research (Stake, 2006; Eisenhardt, 1989; Larsson, 1993; Weick, 2007; see Halinen & Tornroos, 2005; Wilson & Vlosky, 1997 and Weick, 1993 for examples of theory-building from cases). However, to fully utilize the potentials ABstrACt


Abstract Science museum exhibits embody both content and form, and these aspects are not independent of each other. However, selecting the right form for a given content is not straightforward. This paper provides an example of how science education theory, specifically the notion of border crossing, can be applied to achieve an understanding of the immersion exhibit form. The argument proceeds by demonstrating how the characteristics of immersion exhibits, and visitors to them, classify them as microcultures, and examining the implications of this for exhibit design using a hypothetical immersion exhibit as a case. Finally, the generalisability of the findings is discussed as an example of applying education theory to exhibit development.


aspects of the school. Studies which have focused upon the school as a social system have described antagonistic student subcultures and attendant conflict and control problems.3 Control of students-"discipline"-is a major concern of all teachers, but it is especially acute for beginning teachers. Likewise, teaching experience has impact upon all teachers, but for new recruits, initial teaching experience may be a sudden confrontation with conflicting role demands of teaching, especially with regard to pupil control and learning goals of the school. Teachers' orientations toward pupil control may be studied in terms of behavior or in terms of ideology. The present inquiry focuses upon the relationship between teaching experience and the pupil control ideology of beginning teachers.


Thermal anomalies can be monitored by remote sensing instruments to provide some insight into forthcoming earthquakes (EQ). In this paper, we study thermal anomaly associated with the three EQs (2019 Azad Kashmir, 2013 Awaran and 2017 Khuzdar) in Pakistan from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrodiameter (MODIS) when earthquakes were underway. The temporal data of Land Surface Temperature (LST) is deliberated for 20 days before and 10 days later the main shock day. Temperature measurements in the 10 days preceding and after the main event show irregular values. Moreover, the data is also analyzed using neural network for validating the statistically observed anomalies.


In Malaysia, the Malay language is a national language in relation to its identity formation in a multi-ethnic country. However, there are some linguistic practices and texts which are of critical importance to religious understandings among different religious adherents, such as the issue of the use of the word "Allah". This paper discusses how the Malay language plays its role in religious understandings and how religious understandings have impacted on the political and intellectual spheres in Malaysia. The discussion is based on the pragmatic concept suggested by Crystal (1999) which views identity and language from the perspective of its users, and Russell"s approach (1940) to identity and meaning in the philosophy of language. The data used in the discussion relate to a controversial issue of religious language in Malaysia. The discussion shows that although the Malay language plays its vital role in religious understandings, its role leaves unclear identity because the Malay language is too exclusive to the Muslim community. The discussion also shows that religious understandings have impacted on the political and intellectual spheres in Malaysia by taking into consideration the different views among Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) leaders over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians.


The conditions (T)γ, γ ∊ (0,1), which were introduced by Sznitman in 2002, have had a significant impact on research in random walk in a random environment. Among others, these conditions entail a ballistic behavior as well as an invariance principle. They require the stretched exponential decay of certain slab exit probabilities for the random walk under the averaged measure and are asymptotic in nature.


Universidad Nacional de Loja has a strong area to enhance within the area of Biodiversity, it is pertinent to highlight the information regarding the Reinaldo Espinosa Botanical Garden, source of many investigations, so far from technology or very little used, therefore, the opportunity is shown to expose through a technological approach the potential to share such information, achieve an important impact and contribution in this area of knowledge, through the incursion of adopting technologies related to Semantic Web and Linked Data.

This Degree Work is oriented to: "Define a Semantic Web and Linked Data model focused on the field of Biodiversity", such that, the expected result of the different processes developed, is a prototype model that uses Semantic Web technologies and Linked Data, to highlight the importance it has in the conservation of Biodiversity. In the explored study area, the "Reinaldo Espinosa Botanical Garden" denotes problems such as the dispersion of knowledge, because the research carried out is scattered in different repositories; like, the difficulty in the process of searching for information, caused by the lack of available digital resources to consult.

The main modeling of the resources of Reinaldo Espinosa Botanical Garden as well as the underlying processes after the generation of the model are addressed and executed within the Linked Data Generation and Publication Methodology, for the modeling phase in the creation of the ontology, It was contemplated to use the Methontology methodology, together with the different tools such as Open Link Virtuoso, Pubby, CmapTools, Protege, LodRefine, Tomcat and Apache Jena Fuseki, resources were applied such as the scientific method, experimental method, transcendental for the development of the model prototype.

The main contribution of the Degree Work is the development of a prototype model that covers the reality of the data of the Reinaldo Espinosa Botanical Garden, as well as a first vocabulary. Within the future lines, the contribution of researchers to strengthen the model, the development of a tool such as a Biodiversity portal, a semantic application capable of consuming the data of the model afterwards, stands out.


The weight and power constraints imposed on flapping-wing micro air vehicles necessitate optimal design of the flapping kinematics. To date, the approach adopted for kinematics optimization has been to assume specific functions for the Euler angles describing the wing motion with respect to the body. Then, optimization is performed on the parameters of these functions. In another approach, a number of instants over the flapping cycle are selected, and optimization is performed on the magnitude of the Euler angles at these instants. This latter approach provides more freedom for the variations of the Euler angles rather than confining them to certain patterns. Yet, in both approaches, finite-dimensional optimization is adopted and, as such, additional constraints are imposed. Considering that the problem is an infinite-dimensional optimization problem, we use in this work the calculus of variations to obtain true optimality. The combination of the quasi-steady aerodynamics and the calculus of variations ap...


Online teaching has not as yet penetrated too deeply into the undergraduate culture, and most successful programs are targeted towards vocational learning or postgraduate courses. This case study details the experiences of translating a successful online teaching paradigm used in a fully online postgraduate degree to an undergraduate degree program. The main objective of this case study is to determine the appropriateness of using the postgraduate model at undergraduate level by examining the performance of three separate undergraduate groups studying a re-designed online undergraduate subject. As the graduate model is based on a semi-Socratic paradigm of initial discussion questions and follow-on weekly discussions, it was not at all clear that such a paradigm would be applicable at the undergraduate level. Given the limited working experience of undergraduates, a translation of the paradigm could loose its effectuality on the target student population. Yet the changing demographics of students suggests an online subject based on this paradigm may be successful.


SUMMARY

1
The arrangement of the tracheal trunks is compared in Cheyletus eruditue, Allothrombium fuliginosum and Dinoihrombium tinctorius.

2
It is concluded that the condition in Cheyletus arose by fusion of the cheliceral bases and the extension dorsally of paired atria.

3
The opening to the external air is in the last peritrematal chamber in Cheyletus eruditus.


As a core component of Substitution-Permutation Networks, diffusion layer is mainly introduced by matrices from maximum distance separable (MDS) codes. Surprisingly, up to now, most constructions of MDS matrices require to perform an equivalent or even exhaustive search. Especially, not many MDS proposals are known that obtain an excellent hardware efficiency and simultaneously guarantee a remarkable software implementation. In this paper, we study the cyclic structure of rotational-XOR diffusion layer, one of the commonly used linear layers over (F2), which consists of only rotation and XOR operations. First, we provide novel properties on this class of matrices, and prove the a lower bound on the number of rotations for n ≥ 4 and show the tightness of the bound for n = 4. Next, by precisely characterizing the relation among sub-matrices for each possible form, we can eliminate all the other non-optimal cases. Finally, we present a direct construction of such MDS matrices, which allows to generate 4 × 4 perfect instances for arbitrary b ≥ 4. Every example contains the fewest possible rotations, so under this construction strategy, our proposal costs the minimum gate equivalents (resp. cyclic shift instructions) in the hardware (resp. software) implementation. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that rotational-XOR MDS diffusion layers have been constructed without any auxiliary search.


Abstract Adults in the modern society suffer from stress, and prolonged stress brings about various diseases. Hence, national measures to prevent stress are needed, and countries seek approaches based on the nature. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of forest healing programs on stress in the Korean adult population through a meta-analysis. Eleven pertinent studies were selected, and the effect size of each parameter, pooled effect size, and heterogeneity were examined. Further, the heterogeneity of effect sizes was analyzed through moderator analysis using categorical variables as the moderators. The results were as follows. First, the pooled effect size of stress was −0.95, which is considered a large effect size. Total variance I 2, which indicates the heterogeneity of effect size of stress, was quite large, at 77% (Q = 43.29, p < .0001). A meta-ANOVA analysis was performed for a moderator analysis with type of program, length of program, size of experimental group, subjects, sex, number of program sessions, and type of article, and there were no statistically significant differences between the parameters.


Simulating ionization processes on a molecular time scale requires an appropriate treatment of the ionization continuum. In general this is realized by discretizing the ionization continuum. Since in simulations only a limited number of discrete continuum levels can be considered, the discrete expansion series has to be truncated at some level. Therefore, the optimal number of levels used for the simulations is determined by two constraints. First, the computation time has to be kept low, and second, reflection of population at the last level has to be avoided. It is shown that an approximate nonreflecting boundary condition meets both requirements. The formalism has been applied to the photodissociation process of the CsCl molecule.


ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of differential tax treatment between life and property-liability insurers on their common stock investments. The empirical methodology is based on an after-tax mean-variance model which predicts life insurers prefer higher dividend yields than property-liability insurers at any systematic risk level. After controlling for regulation, liquidity, and risk effects, test results show that each group of insurers forms a distinct tax-induced dividend clientele. Introduction Investments are an important source of income for insurance companies; therefore, insurers are very concerned about investment decisions. The insurance literature supports the notion that investment income affects the pricing of insurance contracts. For example, Hill (1979) and Fairley (1979) note that double taxation of investment income results in higher insurance premiums in order to provide adequate returns to a company's stockholders. Also, Ang and Lai (1987) argue that asset-liability hedging (i.e., matching investment income with claims payments) can reduce insurance premiums. Although the investment activities of insurers have been of great interest to academic researchers, the existing literature has not adequately addressed insurers' investments in common stocks. The purpose of this article is to provide more insight into this issue. Common stocks are viewed by insurance regulators as much riskier than bonds, preferred stocks, money market securities, or other typical insurance investments. An investigation of insurers' common stock investments should consider the risk factor. Moreover, since an insurer is taxed as a corporation, the effect of taxes on insurers' common stock investments should also be considered. Because of the concern over risk and tax effects on insurers' common stock investments, an after-tax mean-variance model is used to predict insurers' common stock portfolio decisions. These predictions are then tested empirically. The empirical investigation focuses on the tax-induced dividend choices of life and property-liability insurers at related risk levels. The effects of non-tax factors, such as safety regulations and liquidity requirements, on both insurers' common stock investments and dividend yields are also examined. The Life Insurance Company Income Tax Act of 1959 allows life insurers to obtain some tax exemption on their dividend income. If a life insurer and a property-liability insurer are in the same corporate tax bracket, the life insurer is taxed at a lower tax rate on dividend income than the property-liability insurer. This differential tax treatment could cause life insurers to prefer higher dividend yields than property-liability insurers. [1] The after-tax mean and variance model predicts that such tax-induced differences in dividend preference between the two types of insurers can be identified empirically if the risk level is properly controlled. Empirical tests using the actual common stock portfolio data of the largest life and property-liability insurers show that sample life insurers obtain higher portfolio dividend yields than sample property-liability insurers at a given beta level. Moreover, such differences in dividend yields are more pronounced at higher beta levels than those at lower beta levels. To further study whether the observed differences in portfolio dividend yields between the two types of insurers can be explained by non-tax factors, such as safety regulations and liquidity requirements, the basic characteristics of stocks in the sample life insurers' portfolios are compared with those in the sample property-liability insurers' portfolios. Although both types of insurers are found to avoid high-variance or low-liquidity stocks, systematic differences in investment opportunities between the two types of insurers appear to be absent. Specifically, the variance of returns, the average trading volume, and the dividend yields on the individual stocks in the sample life insurers' portfolios are similar to those in the sample property-liability insurers portfolios. …


We recently proposed a robust method for producing few-cycle attosecond pulse generation in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. It is based on radiation of relativistic ultrathin electron layers, which are produced with inverse free electron laser process. In the present article the energy of this attosecond source is investigated numerically for the linearly and circularly polarized cases.


This talk was provided upon invitation for Christie's Education Conference 2016: Creating Markets, Collecting Art London, 14 - 15 July 2016. Panel entitled: "Nothing like the real thing!" Connoisseurship; Dead or Alive in the Digital Age? organized by Elizabeth Herridge


Fusarium wilt is the greatest threat to Musaceae production worldwide; remote sensing techniques based on reflectance spectroscopy are proposed for its detection. The spectral response of leaves of healthy plants and plants infected with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Race1 (Foc R1) from two banana cultivars during the incubation period of the disease were characterized. Spectra of 400-1000 nm were measured in healthy and Foc R1-infected plants on Gros Michel (GM: susceptible) and Williams (W: resistant) bananas with an Ocean Optics HR2000+ portable spectrometer. Similar general patterns were obtained in the spectra for both cultivars for the Vis, around 25% in the green region, but, as the foliar development progressed, reflectance decreased throughout the entire spectral range, close to 12.5% (green region of Vis range) on leaf 4 of both. Four wavelengths were discriminant for the healthy plants in the cultivars. Additionally, reflectance increased in the infected plants in the incubation period throughout the range, decreasing rapidly once the first visible symptoms appeared. The results suggested that an increase in reflectance at discriminating wavelengths can be used to diagnose diseased plants in the asymptomatic period, and a rapid decrease in this suggests the onset of the symptomatic phase.


This paper's main goal is to show that rhythm can be defined and understood, in Peircean terminology, as iconic self-reference. This bears the immediate consequence that rhythm offers a way of –temporarily– escaping the process of unlimited semiosis (CP 2,303; 2,92). Within rhythm, iconic self-reference may create a recurrency of likenesses, suspending further reference to any third element external to rhythm. This paper will argue that some well known cognitive and emotional consequences of rhythm stem from this phenomenon, as semiotically defined here. In order to maintain consistency, I set a Peircean theoretical framework for this paper.


Systems biology researchers make use of a large number of
different software packages for computational modeling and
analysis as well as data manipulation and visualization. To
help developers easily provide the ability for their applications
to communicate with other tools, we have developed a
simple, open-source, application integration framework, the
ERATO Systems Biology Workbench (SBW). In this paper,
we discuss the architecture of SBW, focusing on our motivations for various design decisions including the choice of the message-oriented communications infrastructure.


We introduce a variant of the cover time of a graph, called cover cost, in which the cost of a step is proportional to the number of yet uncovered vertices. It turns out that cover cost is more tractable than cover time; we provide an $O(n^4)$ algorithm for its computation, as well as some explicit formulae. The two values are not very far from each other, and so cover cost might be a useful tool in the study of cover time.


Arterial stiffness(AS) is an important pathologic state of vascular injury. This study was carried out to elucidate the effect of physiological variables on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(BAPWV), index of AS. Four hundred adults(volunteers) participated in this study. Body indices, biochemical, cardiac and inflammatory markers, and right(Rt)- and left(Lt)-BAPWV were measured. Body mass index(BMI), Rt- and Lt-BAPWV, glucose, triglyceride, alkaline phosphatase(ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT), creatinine, uric acid, troponin-I(TNI), NT-proBNP and high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) levels were higher than the reference value of each variable. Rt- and Lt-BAPWV were directly correlated with age, body weight, BMI, glucose, ketone, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, ALP, GGT, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein-B, blood urea nitrogen, heart rate, TNI, creatine kinase, CK-MB, lactic dehydrogenase, myoglobin, hs-CRP, lipase, reumatoid factor, fibrinogen and D-dimer (P


These are recommendations from the Indian Association of Gastro Intestinal Endo Surgeons for safe performance of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Transformation processes involve one or more heat treatments may affect the biochemical, technological and nutritional quality of finished products. It was determined the microbial load of tomato juice to calculating the sterilizing value. Validation of sterilization schedules was performed using the standard computation software by CTCPA (Technical Centre for the Conservation of Agricultural Products-France). It was established 108°C/3min and 102°C/2min 53s. The triple concentrated tomato paste was produced by the continuous technological process by the method of cold break. The influence of the two scales of sterilization on Brix, pH, acidity, chlorides, reducing sugars, protein, viscosity, lycopene, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol determined by standard methods was evaluated. The analysis of variance ANOVA showed the existence of highly significant differences between the effect of 108°C/3min and the 102°C/2min 53s on acid contents with (+1.19%) at 102°C (p≤0.001), chlorides with (+7.24%) at 102°C (p≤0.001), reducing sugars with (-2.45%) at 108°C and (-1.37%) at 102°C (p≤0.01), proteins with (-1.48%) at 108°C and (-0.60%) at 102°C (p≤0.001), and ascorbic acid with (-19.67%) at 108°C and (-17.77%) at 102°C (p<0.05). Tests of correlation and principal component analysis helped to highlight the relationship between the studied parameters and temperature changes. Brix rate is correlated with those of reducing sugars (R=0.71), acids (R=0.70) and proteins (R=0.53). The results revealed an improved bioavailability of lycopene (+4.56%) at 108°C and (+2.30%) at 102°C. There was a stable α-tocopherol and viscosity. Reducing rates of sterilization without effect on safety improves the final quality of triple concentrated tomato paste.


Large numbers of unsubmitted and untested sexual assault kits have been uncovered across the country. Although increased criminal justice, empirical, and legislative attention have been given to better understanding this issue, the extent to which the public is aware of unsubmitted and untested kits and how the public feels about the subject has not been explored. Assessing the public's knowledge of this topic is important considering that public awareness of criminal justice issues can ultimately influence policy decisions. This study, therefore, explores the publics' knowledge and perceptions about the issue of unsubmitted and untested sexual assault kits. We found that roughly 74% of the sample had heard of the term "sexual assault kit," and a little over half (60%) of those persons were aware of the magnitude of the issue surrounding unsubmitted and untested kits. Few (30%) respondents who were aware of the problem knew that it was an issue in their own communities. Further, the public was generally supportive of testing kits and saw the utility of kits, but nuances in the data emerged.


In a recent prospective, randomised trial, we showed that the rates of clinical failure and occurrence of unfavourable pharmacokinetics using a drug-sensitive assay after a switch of anti-TNF were significantly higher in monotherapy compared with combination therapy (Log-rank test p < 0.0001), whatever the anti-TNF used in IBD patients. We aimed in a post hoc analysis to assess the time-course of antidrug antibodies in the two groups of patients using a drug-tolerant assay previously described (1).

 After switching of anti-TNF under mono or combotherapy, blood samples were uptake at various time-points (6, 12, 18 and 24 months). Using a drug-tolerant assay, we defined pharmacokinetic failure when antidrug antibodies were detected (> 2.5 μg/ml Eq). Transient anti-drug antibodies were defined as antibodies that appeared during the course of anti-TNF therapy with no clinical worsening, and finally that disappeared after 2 consecutive measurements.

 Ninety patients were analysed. According to a drug-tolerant assay, the occurrence of antibodies against anti-TNF was significantly higher in patients under monotherapy (log-rank test p < 0.0001 (HR = 3.36 [1.94–5.86]) than under combination therapy. The rates of anti-drug antibody were significantly lower under IFX-AZA combotherapy compared with ADA-AZA combotherapy or under monotherapy. Monotherapy ADA (HR = 5.55[2.46–12.34]) or IFX (HR = 6.05[2.67–13.70]) and combination therapy ADA-AZA (HR = 3.34 [1.407.98]) increased significantly the rates of pharmacokinetic failure using a drug-tolerant assay compared with IFX-AZA combotherapy. The time-course without pharmacokinetic failure was significantly different between the 4 groups of patients from 15 months (p = 0.04) but was not significantly different at 6 months (p = 0.12). Overall, 9% of patients developed transient antibodies. Detection of antibodies against anti-TNF at 6 months using a drug-tolerant assay predicted significantly an immunogenic failure assessed previously by a drug-sensitive assay with a sensitivity of 57.1%, a specificity of 92.7%, a positive predictive value of 90.3%. In contrary to the association between clinical failure and immunogenic failure using drug-sensitive assay, the association of detectable drug and positive antibodies using a drug-tolerant assay was not significantly associated with clinical failure (HR = 1.3[0.3–6.8], p = 0.51).

 Pharmacokinetic failure using a drug-tolerant assay was significantly lower under combotherapy, especially for IFX-AZA. Detection of anti-drug antibodies could predict pharmacokinetic failure.


This book is useful for both those who are familiar with Jim Cummins' work and those who wish to have a thorough introduction to it. It summarises all the theoretical issues Jim Cummins has introduced and elaborated in the last 25 years and it highlights his epistemological and ethical way of dealing with theory and educational practice of bilingualism, language diversity and bilingual education. The theoretical issues Jim Cummins has introduced in the discourse on bilingualism and bilingual education have been vividly discussed and debated upon in many different contexts. Cummins always responded to critics in a way that seemed to incorporate the critic rather than trying to highlight sharp differences. In this book Jim Cummins does make the differences in his theoretical as well as political standpoint unmistakably clear. He refers to each one of the major theoretical concepts in his work (threshold hypothesis, interdependence hypothesis, conversational/academic language distinction). He describes the evolution of these concepts, i.e. what they stood for when they were initially introduced and what they stand for to date, their actual empirical implementation, their usefulness as tools for eventual educational implementation as well as the way each concept was used by advocates, critics or education planners in order to draw conclusions about the academic 'success' or 'failure' of bilingual students. To my understanding the conversational/academic language distinction and the interdependence hypothesis are further elaborated on as a result of the recently available empirical data from different contexts. The threshold hypothesis, although it has not been extensively researched, is further clarified in respect to the possibilities it offers for educational planning. As Cummins strongly repudiates the construct of 'semilingualism', here he clarifies his position that while there are individual differences in the ways in which both conversational and academic language develop, it is theoretically meaningless to characterise these differences in relation to the notion of 'semilingualism'. The book is divided in three major parts. Each part is divided into several chapters and the chapters are divided into smaller units. The three parts are entitled accordingly: 'Theory as Dialogue' (Part 1), 'The Nature of Language Proficiency' (Part 2), 'From Bilingual Education to TransformativePedagogy' (Part 3). To start from the end, the book goes beyond the issues of bilingualism and bilingual education trying to highlight the power relationships culturally diverse students and their teachers are involved in, in order to discuss the chances and the challenges of reversing the coercive power relationships into collaborative ones. In all three parts, one underlying principle serves to connect the diverse issues: the dialogical nature of theory. In the way the book is organised, theory is discussed in a dialogue to educational practice, educational practice in a dialogue to existing social power relationships and educational policy, learning and teaching in a dialogue to the power relationships between culturally diverse


(Tasks) to obtain a low retardation value in the thickness direction of the cellulose acetate film. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] In the case that the retardation value in the thickness direction to -12nm to 25nm, and adjusts the density of the film at 25 ℃ below 1.280.