T HE use of legislation by initiative to prohibit the teaching of evolution in Arkansas affords a unique opportunity to analyze the assumptions of many historians about the nature of the Fundamentalist movement during the 1920s. The Arkansas law of 1928 was the only one to be enacted through initiative and remained in effect until ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court on November 12, 1968.1 Among the precipitating causes of the Fundamentalist controversy in twentieth-century America were a vague sense of guilt associated with the failure of the United States to achieve its goals after World War I; the shock of the move from farm to city; the decline of interest in the church and traditional values; the challenge of modernism, evolution, and other forms of new knowledge; a fear of the unknown; and the hatreds engendered by the Red Scare and the Ku Klux Klan.2 The Fundamentalists of the 1920s, believing in the literal inerrancy of the Bible, desired to return to a set of fundamental Protestant beliefs and to rescue America from the evils of modernism and atheism. They frequently advocated sumptuary legislation, and many of them acted upon their faith by forming organizations aimed at the "evolution menace." In fact, Fundamentalists were such eager anti-evolutionists that the terms are often used interchangeably.3 One group-the World's Christian Fundamentals Association, begun in 1916 by William Bell Riley-sought local, state, and federal laws against the teaching of evolution and adopted a uniform anti-evolution bill. At its maximum membership in 1927, it numbered some six mil-


A low-profile wideband bowtie antenna is proposed, employing high impedance surface (HIS) as ground reflector. Due to the HIS, it features a low-profile and compact design, with overall ground size of 0.57λL×0.85λL and total thickness of 0.067λL, where λL refers to the lowest operating frequency. The 10 dB return-loss bandwidth is 51.9%, peak gain is about 6.03 dBi, and has directive radiation.


mations of the tracheobronchial tree. All patients had the typical symptoms of wheezing and stridor already in ear ly infancy. 3 patients showed concomitant tracheobron chial anomalies. 2 patients had additional cardiovascular deformities. In 3 of the patients the positive clinical course allowed conservative therapy. In the case of 2 further pa tients the respiratory problems demanded surgery, one of this patients died. A further patient died after palliative surgery of cardiac anomaly.


The article analyzes the problems of introducing electric vehicles, as wellas their difference from cars with internal combustion engines. This type oftransport has long been included in our everyday life. Today, in the era ofthe heyday of technology, a person understands that cars with an internalcombustion engine (ICE) are almost on the edge of their existence. Atpresent, the development of the production of electric vehicles should beconsidered as a promising direction of the Iranian automobile industry. Atthe moment, this market in Iran is not yet occupied by foreign companies,and therefore national companies have a chance to use the strategy of"growth together with the market".


The paper "Anatomical Study of Temporal Fat Compartments and its Clinical Application for Temporal Fat Grafting"1 in this issue is important to the aesthetic surgeon on a number of levels. The authors' description of temporal anatomy can be translated directly to the surgical correction of temporal hollowing. In addition, their observations suggest ways to avoid some of the most disastrous complications of periorbital and temporal augmentation such as nerve injury and blindness. This work supports 2 of our clinical impressions: that safe and effective facial augmentation requires as much skill as surgery; and of all the specialties, it is the aesthetic surgeon who most requires an expert understanding of facial anatomy.


Indigenous grandparents have significant roles in the lives of grandchildren. They are integrally engaged with grandchildren because traditional ways valye and support their involvement. Despite historical trauma and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous people, the power of their culture and resiliency are strength-based assets. Understanding Indigenous culture and history can help practitioners provide services to these families. This paper reviews unique characteristics of Indigenous grandparenting and makes recommendations for service providers.


The processes of defect (intergranular micro-cracks) transformation are investigated for metal samples in a high-energy short-pulsed electromagnetic field. This investigation is based on a numerical coupled model of the impact of high-energy electromagnetic field on the pre-damaged thermal elastic-plastic material with defects. The model takes into account the melting and evaporation of the metal and the dependence of its physical and mechanical properties on the temperature. The system of equations is solved numerically by finite element method with an adaptive mesh using the arbitrary Euler–Lagrange method. The calculations show that the welding of the crack and the healing of micro-defects under treatment by short pulses of the current takes place. For the macroscopic description of the healing process, the healing and damage parameters of the material are introduced. The healing of micro-cracks improves the material healing parameter and reduces its damage. The micro-crack shapes practically do not affect the time-dependence of the healing and damage under the treatment by the current pulses. These changes are affected only by the value of the initial damage of the material and the initial length of the micro-crack. The time-dependence of the healing and the damage is practically the same for all different shapes of micro-defects, provided that the initial lengths of micro-cracks and the initial damages are the same for these different shapes of defects.


Economic evidence that fails to account for interdependent demand between customer groups of multisided platforms is not reliable and should not be accorded any weight in decisions by courts or competition authorities. David S. Evans (Global Economics Group)


In serum‐free medium, insulin‐like growth factor‐I/somatomedin‐C (IGF‐I/SM‐C) was weakly mitogenic for adult human fibroblasts in culture. However, in the presence of 0.5% human hypopituitary serum (HHS), which by itself had little effect, there was a marked dose‐dependent response to IGF‐I/SM‐C with a 10‐ to 20‐fold increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation at 25 ng/ml IFG‐I/SM‐C. With the further addition of dexamethasone or hydrocortisone to the combination of IGF‐I/SM‐C + 0.5% HHS, there was a dramatic synergistic effect resulting in a 60‐ to 70‐fold increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation. This stimulation was two times greater than that seen with 20% FCS. In contrast, glucocorticoids had no effect in serum‐free medium or with HHS alone. These [3H]thymidine incorporation results were clearly supported by cell replication studies. Dose‐response curves for 125I IGF‐I/SM‐C binding and IGF‐I/SM‐C stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation were similar with 1/2 maximal effects for both at 5 ng/ml. However, the striking synergism seen with glucocorticoids occurred in the absence of any glucocorticoid‐induced change in IGF‐I/SM‐C binding, indicating that the interaction of IGF‐I/SM‐C and glucocorticoids occurs at a postreceptor level. These data demonstrate that in the presence of a low concentration of HHS, IGF‐I/SM‐C and glucocorticoids stimulate complete cell cycle traverse and replication of human fibroblasts.


Firstly reviewed the development history and basic definitions of biochip(microchip),And stressed on both of fundamental techniques and introduced the microchip as the four key steps in the techniques,and emphasized the prominence of biochip technology compared to the other analysis methods,and summarized the development of there main types of the biochips and ended with the deep discussion and expectation to this technique in future fundamental life science.


Cement production has been one of the most energy intensive industries. This paper deals with the energy audit analysis of a dry type rotary kiln system with preheater – precalciner, rotary kiln and grate cooler for clinker production in a cement plant in Egypt. The process operates with kiln gas by pass ratio ≈ 0.15. The kiln has a capacity of 6300 ton-clinker per day (≈ 4 ton/m kiln volume d.). It was found that net thermal efficiency of the process attains ≈ 56 %. The major portion of heat loss (≈ 17% of the total heat input ) was being lost with preheater exit gas and dust. Heat lost with by-pass gas and dust attains ≈ 5 % of input energy. Total convection and radiation losses attain ≈ 12% whereas cooler exhaust air stack loss represents 8.1% of total heat input. Thermal efficiences of the preheater –precalciner, the rotary kiln and the grate cooler have been estimated as 77.8 % , 23.4 % and 79 % respectively. Potentials for further saving of fuel consumption in the investigated process have been discussed. Kew words: energy, Egyptian cement, dry Process Kiln Plant


Hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea; HU) is now considered as the main pharmacological agent capable to prevent the painful crises, to reduce the frequency and length of hospital admissions, and to improve the quality of life of patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD); whether HU can prevent the severe chronic complications or modify the mortality of these patients remains still an interesting unresolved question. The present study aims to evaluate the above effects of HU in a large number of SCD patients who received HU over long period of time and were followed in a single Center. To this effect, we evaluated the records of 330 patients with SCD who have been followed in the Thalassemia Center of Laikon Hospital over the last twenty years (136M/194F; median age: 42 years, range: 20- 76 years); 34 with homozygous HbS (SS) and 296 compound heterozygotes for HbS and beta-thalassemia. Of the latter, 131 patients had HbS/beta 0 -thal and 165 HbS/beta + -thal (107 with the IVSI-110 and 58 with the IVSI-6 thalassemic mutation). Administration of HU was started as early as 1991; progressively, the total number of patients who received HU reached 131 ("group A"); the remaining 199 were treated conventionally ("group B"). The mean age of the patients in the two groups was similar (mean ±SD: 43.3±9.9 years for group A and 44.1±12.6 years for group B) as well as the levels of HbF. The usual dosage of HU was 20 mg/kg/day, except for some patients, where toxicity or lack of effectiveness imposed modifications of the dosage in the range of 15 to 35 mg/kg/day. The median follow-up period was 8 years (range: 0.1–17 years) for the patients who received HU and 5 years (range: 0.1–18 years) for those who did not receive HU. Apart rare exceptions, patients reported every 4–8 weeks to the Outpatient Clinic, where they had a thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation, including FBC and reticulocytes, LDH, bilirubin, other basic biochemistries and HbF using conventional techniques. The percentage of HbS/HbS, HbS/beta 0 -thal, and HbS/IVSI-110 patients who were given HU was 70%, 49% and 40% respectively; in contrast, very few HbS/IVSI-6 compound heterozygotes had symptoms justifying use of the drug (3.6%). Patients receiving HU showed a dramatic reduction of the frequency of severe painful crises (from 7.4±6.5 episodes per year pre-HU to 0.2±0.4 episodes post-HU; p vs. 47 in group B; 9.1% vs. 23.6%, respectively; p=0.001). The probability of 10-year survival was 91% for the patients treated with HU, while that of the patients conventionally treated was only 70% (Figure). This difference is further magnified if one considers that prior to starting HU the patients of group A had significantly higher transfusion requirements, frequency of painful crises, yearly number of admissions to hospital and intensity of hemolysis in comparison to the group of patients who were not given HU (p=0.004,


When initiating circulation after downtime for connections or trips, many operators bring the pumps up slowly to prevent significant pressure spikes that can cause lost circulation. In some cases, the drillstring is staged into the hole with intermittent pumping to minimize the impact on equivalent circulating density (ECD) after a static period. On a deepwater well in Mississippi Canyon, an operator encountered this issue while drilling the 22-in. hole with a conventional clay-based synthetic-based mud (SBM). After connections, data from the pressure-while-drilling (PWD) tool showed pressure spikes 0.5-1.2 ppg higher than the drilling ECD. This "mini-fracing" of the formation led to lost returns and ultimately wellbore collapse. When the operator planned a deepwater sidetrack in the Mississippi Canyon area later in the drilling program, a clayfree SBM was selected. The well program called for milling a window in the existing 9 5/8-in. casing and drilling a 9 7/8-in. hole with a maximum deviation of 40o. The drillstring included 5-in. drill pipe with 6 3/4-in. tool joints. Despite the tight tolerances, the operator was able to eliminate pressure spikes, even when bringing the mud pumps to 3,000 psi in less than five minutes after connections. The ECDs on the 9 7/8-in. open hole averaged 0.5 ppg, significantly lower than ECDs experienced on the offset well using a clay-based SBM. There were no downhole mud losses observed while tripping, running casing or cementing. This paper compares fluid hydraulics and drilling performance between the two wells based on PWD data and fluid properties.


Currently, there is a lot of interest in implementing the idea of a circular economy along with searching for optimal methods of waste management in terms of raw materials and energy. Waste wood-based floor panels are part of this discussion with regard to its management. The interest in this waste results from statistics and the prediction of its future quantities on the waste market. The separation and testing of individual layers of the waste floor panel was undertaken to answer the following question: Is it reasonable to mechanically separate the contaminated upper panel layer from the remaining part (which is suitable for material recycling) and subject it to thermal transformation methods? Thermogravimetric studies did not confirm the rationale of mechanical separation of layers for further management. Therefore, the use of pyrolysis was proposed as an alternative by showing the advantages of this process in the thermal transformation of the tested waste. The analyzed kinetics of this process included: mass loss, the influence of heating rate on the decomposition process, the impact of volatile parts in the substrate on the rate of mass loss, and the share of coke residue. Empirical formulas of the tested substrates in the molecular formula C–H–O–N (carbon-hydrogen-oxygen-nitrogen) were also proposed to assess its energy usefulness by entering the analyzed waste into a Van Krevelen diagram.


The study of supernatural beliefs has been a major field in anthropology throughout its history. The study of paranormal experiences as such, however, has been largely left for folklorists to handl ...


We prove Schauder estimates for a class of non-local elliptic operators with kernel $K(y)=a(y)/|y|^{d+\sigma}$ and either Dini or Holder continuous data. Here $0 0$. Several local estimates and an extension to operators with kernels $K(x,y)$ are also discussed.


The present invention provides a kind of Multifunction wisdom lamp stand system, including lamp stand main body, controller, reception of wireless signals and transmitting element and the LED street lamp monitoring system being arranged in lamp stand main body, charging pile system, environmentally sensitive monitoring system, video speech help system, network multimedia information distribution system, wireless WLAN system and video monitoring system;Charging pile system is arranged at the lower end part of lamp stand main body;Network multimedia information distribution system is arranged on the upside of charging pile system;Environmentally sensitive monitoring system is arranged at the position, termination of lamp stand main body, and each system is shared out the work and help one another, and every environmental aspect of lamp stand body peripheral edge is monitored management, and assist to carry out operation of reporting to the police, the function making this lamp stand main body is abundanter, and practicality is higher, the design simple in construction, powerful, and the Internet can be accessed by wireless 3G, 4G or GPRSS, it is not necessary to wiring, can access cable broadband by common netting twine, it is applicable to there is ready-made broadband network environment, uses flexibly.


The performance,advantages and disadvantages of PE pipe material and the main points in quality management of welding construction are discussed.


The present invention discloses a method for a CDMA mobile communication field in the standard trunking communication system implemented in the user's always online, CTML first link configuration management, manual scheduling server configuration to its various types of information, and scheduling the corresponding client scheduling configuration various information server; CTML then link establishment and maintenance, by the base station system initiates CTML link establishment process, scheduling and dispatching client server to establish CTML link, and the link processing CTML fault condition; last link used CTML implement a call. Using the method of the invention may be implemented in the cluster communication "always function" in the cellular communication system, while the solution in a CDMA trunking communication system standard, in the following standard premise A8 / A9 / A10 / A11 interface , correctly identify the problem clusters proprietary signaling, and achieved all users to share links, reducing network traffic.


The paper presents the concepts of entrepreneurship supply and entrepreneurship demand. There are presented two groups of inside and outside factors influencing a personal decision to become an entrepreneur. Possible alternatives of entrepreneurial activity are described. The authors have performed the analysis of factors influencing Lithuanians' intentions to become an entrepreneur. The paper highlights further possible research directions.


A prototypical example of a rogue wave structure in a two-dimensional model is presented in the context of the Davey-Stewartson~II (DS~II) equation arising in water waves. The analytical methodology involves a Taylor expansion of an eigenfunctionof the model's Lax pair which is used to form a hierarchy of infinitely many new eigenfunctions. These are used for the construction of two-dimensional (2D) rogue waves (RWs) of the DS~II equation by the even-fold Darboux transformation (DT). The obtained 2D RWs, which are localized in both space and time, can be viewed as a 2D analogue of the Peregrine soliton and are thus natural candidates to describe oceanic RW phenomena,as well as ones in 2D fluid systems and water tanks.


Objective To study the etiology of upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage in children. Methods One hundred children with upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage were examined by gastroscopy. Results Abnormal findings were noted in 93% of patients, with duodenal bulbar ulcer being the commonest disorder (33%). Other abnormalities included severe superficial gastritis (19%), duodenitis accompanied by gastritis (11%), esophagitis (9%) and gastric ulcer (8%). HP test was positive in 60% of patients. Conclusions Upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage occurs frequently in school-age children. Duodenal bulbar ulcer is commonly observed and has a close correlation with HP infection.


This publication provides a comprehensive guide for minibus operators in the United Kingdom. It discusses the relevant legislation and the financial background to minibus operations. It also sets out general working practices, and indicates the kind of results operators should aim for and expect. Contents include: a) background information (historical data, rural minibuses, welfare and educational vehicles, urban minibuses); b) licencing; c) operation ( drivers, revenue, schedules, level of service); d) safety (vehicle design and safety equipment); e) the effects of deregulation ( Transport ACt 1985, regulations, and competition law); f) pricing and costing (including tenders and concessions); g) marketing; and h) future developments, including franchising.


The dynamic current-voltage (Ⅰ-V) characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during field emission were investigated by in-situ imaging and field emission (FE) measurement inside a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). As the electric field increases, the bent nanotubes (BNT) generally become erect and align to a parallel electric field line. However, the FE of BNTs can initially occur after they are fully straightened or it can start at the bended-state (during geometrical straightening) as the applied field increases. In the former case, the FE showed conventional Fowler-Nordheim (FN) behavior with a linear slope. In the latter case, two linear slopes were observed, in which a break in the FN plot corresponds to the applied voltage at which the BNTs becomes fully straightened. The FE of as-straightened CNTs successfully followed conventional FN theory with a single linear slope in FN plots.


Wear resistance and friction coefficient under conditions of abrasive wear and sliding friction in liquid media (water, lubricant) of sub-microcrystalline and nanocrystalline layers formed by diamond burnishing on the turning/milling center on the surfaces of 20kh13 corro-sion-resistant steel parts being in three structural states are investigated.


The article analyzes the CIS cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. The author focuses on a multilateral format of this interaction forums of scientific and creative intelligentsia of the CIS, held annually since 2006. A special attention is given to the role of humanitarian cooperation in strengthening of integration processes in the post-Soviet space. The priority areas for discussions at the forums are science, education, culture, youth problems, tourism. The cooperation in these fields demonstrates a wide range of options and growing potential of mutually beneficial activities of the CIS countries.


Workers' self-management remains a central concept in any project of social renewal. All alternatives to existing paths of socio-economic development inevitably lead to the concept of self-management and self-government. This is because every genuine social catharsis in history has always had traces of self-government, even if they usually faded away as new values blend in the complex network of existing relations and the new institutions become new social orders opposing the very sources that engendered them. Organs of collective decision-making by and for all those involved in production, self-managing units are considered necessary to redistribute power in a society striving for meaningful social relations.


Objective: To evaluate the anti-bacteria! and anti-biofilm activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Rotula aquatica Lour. (EFRA) against clinically isolated uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Methods: In vitro antibacterial and anti-biofilm studies were employed. The antimicrobial activity of EFRA was assayed by the well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the active fraction were determined by Resazurin method. The time-kill kinetic assay, acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining, propidium iodide uptake assay, and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis were done to evaluate the efficacy of EFRA in killing uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The anti-biofilm activity was determined by 3-[4,5- dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) assay and specific biofilm formation assay. Results: The well diffusion assay of EFRA showed a very clear zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli BRL-17. The MIC and MBC of EFRA were 2.5 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL, respectively. The time-kill kinetic assay, fluorescence microscopic analysis, propidium iodide uptake assay, and SEM analysis displayed the effect of EFRA in killing the bacteria. The MTT assay and specific biofilm formation assay showed that EFRA prevented the formation of biofilms. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirm that EFRA could prevent bacterial growth and inhibit its biofilm formation.


This study aims to find out how self-control on the perpetrators of sexual harassment in the workplace and the factors that influence it. This research uses qualitative research method with phenomenology approach. Data obtained from this research using observation and interview method. The results of this study indicate that self-control of the perpetrators of sexual harassment in the workplace is influenced by internal factors that exist in self informants and external factors in the form of factors of the situation and the environment. Informants who have the ability to control their thought patterns and behaviors have a better picture of decision control. Then, the thing to note and need to add is how the situation of the situation when the occurrence of sexual harassment. It can inspire people around to do the same. In addition, age, culture, religion, parents, and the environment also affect the image of self-control of sex offenders in the workplace.


Aviation, world''s youngest mean of transport is dominating in tourist transportation for long distances, more than 500 km. Air transportation is a rapidly developing part of global transportation. Not only technical part is being transformed, but also methods and models of aviation business. This article examines historical retrospective, terminology, modern trends and future development of the most flexible and mobile market of world touristic air transportation.


Chinese scientists have isolated 42 components from Siegesbeckia ,among them there are 17 new diterpenoids.Our research group has elucidated 10 new diterpenoids and gave comments and corrections on 3 wrong structures.


Mass screening for colorectal cancer reduces mortality and, with recent advances in molecular genetics, molecular stool‐based tests have produced promising results. This article reviews this innovation and discusses its clinical significance.


An attempt has been made theoretically to observe the different anisotropic properties of optimally doped iron-pnictide superconductors in the presence of an applied magnetic field. For this analysis, the modified phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory applicable to two-band superconducting systems has been used and found to be successful. In doing so, the anisotropic ratio with respect to the penetration depth and the Sommerfeld coefficient have been calculated for the system. The results obtained have been found to be very close to the experimental findings reported earlier. This analysis manifests that the proposed model can successfully be used to explain the anisotropy of multiband superconductors.


Dermoscopy is the first and often only level of non-invasive diagnostic investigation for cutaneous disease. However, differential diagnosis of lentigo maligna (LM) is difficult with dermoscopy because of shared dermoscopic features with flat-pigmented non-melanocytic skin neoplasms (NMSN).1-3 Previous authors have identified some dermoscopic features as suggestive for melanocytic lesions and highly suggestive for LM; grey rhomboidal structures, non-evident follicles, grey circles and intense pigmentation.


Acenocoumarol, an anticoagulant drug, was separated successfully using polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases columns namely Cellulose Chiralpak® IB and Chiralcel® OD, using various normal mobile phases by high-performance liquid chromatography. However, the appearance of four well separated peaks confirmed the presence of the hemiketal form of 4-hydroxy-3-[1-(4-nitrophenyl)-3-oxobutyl]-2H-chromen-2-one.


The classification of taxa has always been an area of debate among systematists—empirically, methodologically, and philosophically. Arguably, the single most important change over the past forty years is the widespread recognition that a classification system is only useful when it functions as a storage and retrieval system of phylogenetic information. Although the type of information to be stored has largely been agreed upon (i.e., propinquity of descent and monophyly), debate continues on the method of this system (e.g., PhyloCode: Cantino and de Queiroz 2003; contra Keller et al. 2003; Nixon et al. 2003). Regardless, the role of classification as a subdiscipline of the science of systematics is clear, and it is separate from that of nomenclature, although both are subdisciplines of taxonomy (de Queiroz 2006). Taxonomy is informed by phylogenetics, and this information is used in the naming of biodiversity (nomenclature) and in the organization of the named groups (classification). All systems of classification and nomenclature that are based on evolutionary hypotheses (phylogeny) provide ranks and names for only monophyletic groups. It is from this framework that we address recently proposed changes to the taxonomy of the Colubroidea in North America (NA; Table 1). One of the largest groups of squamates, the Colubroidea, was recently found to contain a number of families and subfamilies that were determined to be paraor polyphyletic (Kelly et al. 2003; Lawson et al. 2005). The 'traditional' classification, with four families and 15 subfamilies, has remained in this state at least since Dowling and Duellman (1978; although five of the aforementioned subfamilies were used as tribes in that work). Virtually all of these subfamily names (except Pseudoxyrhophiinae), even those used as tribes in Dowling and Duellman (1978), long predate that publication (Table 2). To rectify this disconnection between phylogeny and taxonomy, establish consistency with phylogenetic hypotheses generated from a large number of morphological and molecular studies (see references in Lawson et al. 2005), and make often be ingested at night. A subsequent study on the acceptance of dead prey by snakes was undertaken by curator Edward George Boulenger in 1915 (Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1915:583–587). The situation at the London Zoo becomes clear when one refers to a quote by Mitchell in 1929: "My rule about no living prey being given except with special and direct authority is faithfully kept, and permission has to be given in only the rarest cases, these generally of very delicate or newborn snakes which are given new-born mice, creatures still blind and entirely unconscious of their surroundings."


[1] Hyun Ho Park, Emmanuelle Logette, Stefan Raunser, Solange Cuenin,Thomas Walz, Jurg Tschopp and Hao Wu (2007). Death domain assemblymechanism revealed by crystal structure of the oligomeric PIDDosome corecomplex. Cell 128: 533-546.[2]LiweiWang,JinKukYang,VenkataramanKabaleeswaran,AmandaJRice,Anthony C Cruz, Ah Young Park, Qian Yin, Ermelinda Damko, Se Bok Jang,Stefan Raunser, Carol V Robinson, Richard M Siegel, Thomas Walz & HaoWu (2010). The Fas-FADD death domain complex structure reveals the basisof DISC assembly and disease mutations''. Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. in press.[3] Su-Chang Lin, Yu-Chih Lo and Hao Wu (2010). Helical assembly in theMyD88-IRAK4-IRAK2complexinTLR/IL-1Rsignaling.Nature,465:885–90.89-MiniSympBcl-2 Family Proteins Regulate the Ability of Ceramide Channelsto Permeabilize the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane to ProteinsMarco Colombini


In the modern world, business leadership mainly takes places in corporations. Less than five centuries old, business corporations are relatively new organizations in human history. Despite their historical newness, many people think of business corporations almost as part of the natural world, as if they had always been there. In this view, corporations are more or less synonymous with business and entitled to just as much freedom as an individual tradesman or shopkeeper.


The research on the coordinated relations of the environments and economics could qualitatively reflect the comprehensive strength level of the reginal environments and economical development.To assess about the environmental and economical coordinated growth level in "the tenth five-year"and "the eleventh five-year"of Henan Province qualitatively by using the environmental Kuznets Curve respectively.The conclusion is that "the eleventh five-year"was more coordinated than "the tenth five-year"of Henan Province.And then analyzed the problems between the environments and economics at present by comparison the total state of development between the environments and economics in the two periods,in order to express the coordinated development trend and the harmoniously countermeasure between the environments and economics.


This chapter examines how international peacebuilding actors assess progress towards peace consolidation. Assessments are conducted both informally through the periodic reporting of heads of missions and briefings to organizations' member states and government ministers, and more formally through benchmarking, conflict analysis, and early warning indicators, among other practices. The chapter highlights innovative approaches to strategic assessment that have yielded insights into the robustness of peace. The chapter also examines some of the many indices and indicators of peace, stability, resilience, and the like that are produced periodically by think tanks and research institutes, including the Global Peace Index, the Peace and Conflict Instability Ledger, the Failed (now Fragile) States Index, and the Everyday Peace Indicators. For the most part, these indices conceal more than they reveal about the quality of post-conflict peace but there are notable exceptions.


This paper presents a prototype of a mobile minirobot with an embedded vision system. The robot control is implemented in a low cost microcontroller and the vision system is based in a proprietary CMOS imaging array. The proposed vision sensor has enough flexibility to be incorporated directly to most microcontroller-based systems without any additional electronics. The CMOS camera sensor has random access readout capabilities and the microcontroller uses the camera like a read only external memory. Therefore, the main advantage of this system is that image-processing algorithms can be incorporated directly in a low cost microcontroller, resulting on a compact vision system with decision-making capabilities. The robot autonomous capabilities have been tested in a soccer game scenario where visual tasks such as object localisation and classification are needed.


Due to the importance of supersonic combustion in hypersonic propulsion an experimental investigation of the flowfield of a supersonic ramjet combustion chamber (scramjet) at a Mach number of 2 has been carried out. The simulated free flight Mach number was about 5. The hydrogen was injected parallel to the air stream throughthe base of a symmetric wedge (strut) centered in the two dimensionalcombustion chamber. The strut served as a flameholder. Spontaneous OH-emission, schlieren photography and pitot pressure measurements were used to acquire basic information about the flowfield. Quantitativ measurements were made with a 2D Laser-Doppler- Velocimeter (LDV) from which the mean velocity, turbulent intensitiesand Reynolds stresses were determined. Coherent-Anti-Stokes-Raman- Scattering (CARS) was used to determine the temperature histograms for each measurement point. The histrograms show the turbulent temperature fluctuations in the combustion chamber.


This presentation describes the International Linear Collider (ILC), an e + and e collider based on the superconducting linear accelerator with a center of mass energy of 500 GeV in the first stage, upgradeable to 1 TeV. According to the statement of the Science Council of Japan, MEXT (Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports) and the Japanese government have investigated the feasibility of the ILC project, not only from the scientific view, but also the political, economic, and sociological points of view. The latest status of the project as well as the scientific objective will be presented. Figure 1: Schematic illustration of the ILC. Electron and positron sources, damping rings, electron and positron main linacs and the physics detectors are shown. The total length of the 500 GeV machine is about 31 km, which is close to the circumference of the LEP/LHC (27 km). ADVANTAGES AND SHORT


The invention provides an AMOLED display device and a driving method thereof. The AMOLED display device comprises a driving circuit (10) and a display panel (20) connected with the driving circuit (10). The display panel (20) comprises multiple array-arranged sub-pixels including red sub-pixels (R), green sub-pixels (G), blue sub-pixels (B), and white sub-pixels (W). A gamma control signal (Gamma_change) is input into the driving circuit (10) and the driving circuit (10) outputs a red gamma voltage curve (Red_Gamma), a green gamma voltage curve (Green_Gamma), a blue gamma voltage curve (Blue_Gamma), and a white gamma voltage curve (White_Gamma). According to different gamma control signals (Gamma_change), the driving circuit (10) drives the display panels (20) with different sub-pixel arrangement modes so as to reduce production cost and enhance product competitiveness.


There are several references or assessments in determining the best customer service, including those based on customer service performance assessments, namely Cross Selling, Greeting Service Recovery, Grooming, and Discipline. In this study the authors used the ARAS method in selecting the best Customer Service. Use the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method where each criterion is compared to produce the best. The results of the study provide alternative A3 which is the alternative chosen to be the best alternative with a value of 0.2207.


Interview with Israel Reyna, a lawyer and community activist from Laredo, Texas. In this interview, he talks about La Raza Unida and the Chicano movement in South Texas.


It's confusing what the unitary concept of detoxification is; clinically, the phenomenon squeezed between emergency medicine and long-term complex therapies of dependency. It's partially the physiological as well as medicinal removal of toxic substances from a human being, with limited usefulness circumscribed with potentially dangerous symptoms of withdrawal syndrome. Newly published the DSM-5 draft proposed important physiological and diagnostic revisions; i.e. the elimination of current categories of substance abuse and substance dependence and replacing them with a new group category of addiction and related disorders. This will include substance use disorders, with each drug identified as a single category. This starts with premise that the tolerance and withdrawal experiences could be normal responses to prescribed medications affecting the central nervous system. The miscellaneous discontinuation syndromes (separate from substance use disorders), including effects of two categories of antidepressants – tricyclic and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, manifest themselves as the most puzzling idea of DSM-5. These phenomena occur when an individual is not 'addicted' in the sense that one engages in compulsive drug-seeking behavior but rather abruptly stops a medication and experiences unpleasant, sometimes serious withdrawal symptoms. Moreover, there is an overlapping concept of behavioral addictions, as gambling disorder, internet addiction, etc. The general idea of detoxification, during which an organism returns to homeostasis after long-term use of an addictive substance, is too conventional when faced with those proposals. The decontamination from poison ingestion and the use of antidotes as well as techniques such as dialysis are too narrow concepts as for any long-term treatment-oriented goals, detoxification is not a dependence treatment or even can be contradictory for that, as some psychotherapeutic approaches are focused on and utilize withdrawal experiences.


This article claims a place for nonhuman things in the worlds of planning theory and practice. Using a fragment from a dialogue between a group of planners and a developer, I explore how things—apartment buildings, site plans, scale models, and parking spaces—shape planning practice. My concern is the micropolitics of planning and the way in which people interact with objects to convey authority and commitment and to establish mutual understandings.


AbstractIn her elegant and raw novel, The Golden Mean, English-Canadian author Annabel Lyon revisits a founding cultural figure of Western thought through the fluctuating affects of mental illness. Approaching Aristotle in the light of depression and bipolarity, and opting for the strong choice of first person and present tense, she humanizes and actualizes the philosopher as a living, suffering being. The historical novel becomes the ground for a demonstration of empathy, in which the portrayal of the teaching relationship has overtones of contemporary care ethics.ResumeDans son roman elegant et cru, Le juste milieu, l'auteure canadienne-anglaise Annabel Lyon revisite une figure culturelle fondatrice de la pensee occidentale a travers les affects changeants de la maladie mentale. En abordant Aristote sous l'angle de la depression et de la bipolarite, en optant pour le choix fort de la premiere personne et du present, elle humanise et actualise le philosophe comme un etre vivant et souffrant. Le roman historique devient le terrain d'une demonstration d'empathie, dont le portrait de la relation d'enseignement a les accents de l'ethique contemporaine du care.


Each customer on the carriage of goods, particularly fuel oil, is interested in minimizing the cost of this operation. In simple cases, transport, such as one mode of transport when there are no alternative proposals, this minimization is done by a possible reduction in the cost of transportation and direct operation «loading-unloading». Quite a different problem arises when transportation can be made by various schemes combined modes of transport. Here it is necessary to determine not only the cost of delivery of liquid fuel on possible routes, but the timing and reliability of delivery.The article reveals the essence of the method based on the cost of delivery to destination, time-consuming, cargo in combined transport schemes and determined the best solution possible. The proposed method is illustrated by a practical example that facilitates the understanding of the material of the article.


Principles of Geology is a professional foundation lesson for geophysics specialty.In order to lay students' stability of professional foundation,to explor their professional interests,author has carried on a series quest from the content of course and teaching method in the experience of teaching for several years,and obtained good result.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the dialectical interplay between centralisation and decentralisation forces so as to understand how schools leverage on its autonomous pedagogical space, influence the diffusion of innovations in the educational landscape of Singapore and how a centralised-decentralised system supports (or impedes) pedagogical reform for twenty-first century learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first outlines the evolutionary stance of Singapore's decentralisation from its past to present trajectories, thus providing a broader social-historical interpretation to its tight-loose-tight coupling of the education system; followed by situating the context of reform within the national narrative of Ministry of Education's (MOE) twenty-first century competencies framework. The authors examine how school autonomy should be accompanied by systemic enabling mechanisms, through two case illustrations of whole-school reforms.

Findings

There are four carryover effects that the authors have observed: structural, socio-cultural, economic and epistemic. Middle managers from the two schools act as a pedagogical, socio-technological and financial broker outside the formal collaborative structures organised by the MOE. Such a "middle-out" approach, complemented by centralised mechanisms for "coeval sensing mechanism", has resulted in boundary-spanning linkages and multiplier effects in terms of knowledge spillovers.

Research limitations/implications

Socio-cultural context matters; and what constitutes as co-learning between policymakers and practitioners in Singapore may be construed as policing that stifles innovations in other contexts.

Originality/value

In addition to the conceptualisation of how school autonomy may lead to school-based innovations, the paper provided some preliminary empirical evidence of how the co-production of knowledge has been engendered within, across and beyond individual Singapore schools through the mechanism of innovation diffusion. The unit of analysis is innovation ecosystem.


• This report reviews the available literatures in order to: (i) identify the pressures, threats and opportunities facing businesses operating in difficult economic conditions such as those currently being experienced in the UK and globally; (ii) identify the strategies adopted by businesses that have experienced such conditions; and (iii) assess which strategies proved to be problematic and those that have allowed businesses to respond dynamically, survive and emerge strongly as economic conditions improved. • Sources for the report include academic studies of business responses to recession and other 'environmental jolts', contemporary commentary on the current crisis, and the deliberations of a 'think‐tank' involving leading academic experts on business strategy and management. • The literature directly focused on business responses during recession is limited and partial. The search was, therefore, extended to wider literatures on business responses to environmental shocks/jolts, 'endgame' strategies in declining industries and business turnaround. These literatures provide support for the analysis presented, although their relevance to recession conditions has to be demonstrated rather than assumed. Uncertainty • Previous recessions provide pointers to possible business responses but, given the specificities of the current crisis, it is difficult to predict trends or prescribe courses of action with a high degree of confidence in their likely success. ii • The increasing globalisation of economic activity – the interconnectedness of economic activity across national frontiers ‐ renders the current crisis different from previous recessions. • The current recession may well constitute a 'structural break' or 'phase shift' in the economy, in which the previously held assumptions about how it functions and economic models are open to question. The outcome of the current recession may be a new economic order, the nature of which cannot be fully understood today. • Recessions impact unevenly on industries, countries, regions and firms. There is, therefore, no single 'recession effect' for businesses, nor any particular 'best way' to adapt to recession conditions applicable to all businesses. Recessions generate contradictory tendencies, for instance, declining aggregate expenditure and falling input prices. • Creative destruction. For some analysts, recessions are regarded as periods of 'creative destruction', during which some businesses and industries decline, often terminally, while new ideas, technologies, products and industries emerge and become the driving forces of subsequent economic activity and growth. Recession conditions contribute to this economic restructuring through stimulating business churn, the entry and exit of firms, and by motivating incumbent firms to adapt products …


Trichogrammatoidea lutea Girault (Hymenoptera Trichogrammatidae) is an egg parasitoid of the African bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in southern Africa. To determine the potential of T. lutea as a biological control agent of H. armigera, longevity, daily parasitism, fecundity, number of progeny per egg and sex ratio with regard to maternal age were examined under laboratory. The maximum longevity of T. lutea male and female adults was 14 and 16 days, respectively. Reproduction by T. lutea commenced on the day of eclosion and lasted for 14 days. The mean realized fecundity of T. lutea was 52 offspring per female. Daily fecundity and sex allocation depended on maternal age. Daily percentage parasitism and fecundity were highest on the day of eclosion and decreased with female age until no egg was parasitized from day 15. The sex ratio was femalebiased during the first three days, and thereafter became male-biased from day 4 until day 14. The number of progeny per host egg was also highest at 2.2 on the day of eclosion, then decreased to 0.9 on day 8 and thereafter increased to 2.0 on day 13. The overall sex ratio of T. lutea was approximately 1:1. The net replacement rate (R0), mean generation time (T) and intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) of T. lutea were determined at 25.5, 9.8 and 0.3, respectively. Findings from this study show great potential of T. lutea as a biological control agent of H. armigera.


For morphodynamic studies, it is important to compute not only the transported volumes of bed load, but also the size of the transported material. A few bed load equations compute fractional transport (i.e., both the volume and grain size distribution), but many equations compute only the bulk transport (a volume) with no consideration of the transported grain sizes. To fill this gap, a method is proposed to compute the bed load grain size distribution separately to the bed load flux. The method is called the Generalized Threshold Model (GTM), because it extends the flow competence method for threshold of motion of the largest transported grain size to the full bed surface grain size distribution. This was achieved by replacing dimensional diameters with their size indices in the standard hiding function, which offers a useful framework for computation, carried out for each indices considered in the range [1, 100]. New functions are also proposed to account for partial transport. The method is very simple to implement and is sufficiently flexible to be tested in many environments. In addition to being a good complement to standard bulk bed load equations, it could also serve as a framework to assist in analyzing the physics of bed load transport in future research.


In this issue, for example, we have spoken to Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi, who is the Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity in the United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Energy as well as chief executive officer of the World Energy Congress' organizing committee. Each of these distinct markets has seen shifts in both supply and demand over the past five years, not least the baryte market, in which the Indian and Chinese markets went head to head with their own supply. LME calling Far be it from me to blow our own trumpet, but I am very proud of the fact that in June this year Fastmarkets was selected by the London Metal Exchange as its partner to develop the lithium price benchmark (see page 10)


Phyllodes tumor (PT) is a fibroepithelial lesion of breast known for presence of a heterogenous stroma. However occurrence of a keratin cyst within PT is a rare incidence. An inadequate sampling during fine needle aspiration (FNA) of such lesions may result in an erroneous cytological diagnosis.


The embroidery thread of a 10th-century relic pouch was examined by different scientific methods. The aim of the investigations was to establish an optimal sequence of methods for obtaining the maximum information on manufacturing technique of the metal thread using as small a sample as possible. Optical microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray analysis were used for the morphological and material tests of the two samples of about 3 mm of common length. Data show that a gilt silver strip was wound around a silk core for making the thread. Thickness and width of the metal strip, the composition and width of the silver and gold layer and the possible ways of gilding are also given.


This paper describes an experimental evaluation of engineering characteristics of dredged marine soils (DMS) which excavated during the dredging works carried
out from Malaysian waters. DMS mainly consists of clays, silts and sands mingled with debris, rocks and organic matter. The samples were retrieved from Kuala
Muda (Kedah) and Kuala Perlis. In laboratory works, physical properties of DMS are depends to space, time and land in the watershed. Due to its poor
engineering properties, the material was destined for disposal offshore. Dredged marine soils, commonly classified as geo-waste. The parameters examined
include particle size distribution, morphology, water content, Atterberg limits, specific gravity and organic content. The DMS from Kuala Perlis Kuala Muda
Kedah can be classified as high plasticity of silt (MH) and low plasticity of silt (ML) respectively. Reasonable agreement can be noticed at different locations
have different physical properties. Thus, the geo-characterization of DMS is significant in decision making either to be reused or disposed to the designated open
waters.


Urinary chloride (Cl) is the key electrolyte for regulating renin secretion at the macula densa under the 'tubulo-glomerular feedback'. Whether or not Cl filtrated into the urinary tubules actually associates with plasma renin activity (PRA) in clinical heart failure (HF) remains unclear. Data from 29 patients with acute worsening HF (48% men; 80.3±12 years) were analyzed. Blood and urine samples were immediately obtained before decongestive therapy after the patients rested in a supine position for 20-min. Clinical tests included peripheral blood tests, serum and spot urinary electrolytes, b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), plasma neurohormones, and fractional urinary electrolyte excretion. In the 29 patients, urinary Cl concentrations inversely correlated with logarithmically transformed PRA (R2 =0.41, p=0.0002). The correlation was weaker in worsening chronic HF patients (R2 =0.32, p=0.01) compared with de novo HF patients (R2 =0.70, p=0.0026). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median urinary Cl concentration, a low group and a high group. Compared with the high group (100~184 mEq/L; n=14), the low group (4~95 mEq/L; n=15) exhibited more renal (serum creatinine; 1.45±0.63 vs 1.00±0.38 mg/d, p=0.029) and cardiac (log BNP; 2.99±0.3 vs 2.66±0.32 pg/mL, p=0.008 p=0.008) impairment, and higher PRA (3.42±4.7 vs 0.73±0.46 ng/mL/h, p=0.049), and lower fractional excretion of urinary Cl (1.34±1.3 vs 5.33±4.1%, p<0.0001). The present study provides clinical data on the possible functioning of urinary Cl involved in the mechanism of 'tubulo-glomerular feedback', and thus advances our understanding of the clinical meanings of the significance of urinary Cl concentration measurement.


This study attempts to compare the recent trends of burn wound infection by various microorganisms and their sensitivity and resistance to commonly used antibiotics. A total of 100 cases were studied from January 2003 to January 2004. The swab for culture was taken from various sites of burn wounds on the seventh day after admission. Culture was done and analyzed to individual member of microbial flora, and then the sensitivity to various antibiotics was studied. In our study we found that in our set-up Pseudomonas was the commonest microorganism isolated and Piperacillin and Amikacin were most effective antibiotics against them. Klebsiella and E.Coli responded best to Ciprofloxacin. Staphylococcus Aureus was sensitive to Amikacin and Erythromycin and no resistance was found against Vancomycin. Proteus responded to Ciprofloxacin. A combination of Ciprofloxacin and Amikacin can be considered as first line therapy for management of burn infections with selective use of Piperacillin in resistant pseudomonas infections.


Background/purpose: The use of soft adhesives in the manufacture of pressure‐sensitive adhesive tapes has recently increased. The dermal peeling force of adhesive tapes with soft adhesives was studied.


The planning, the framework and the initiatives involved in developing the Hand Press Book Database (HPB), which records early European printings up to about 1830, has been described and discussed in Germany since it began.1 In this update, the author shows first of all how these national cataloguing projects fit Into a European context and looks at the German initiatives and achievements against the background of and as an endeavor to integrate them Into an even wider framework. Furthermore, the developments in the HPB are shown to be a dynamic process whose goals and achievements deserve to be presented at regular intervals. The loth anniversary of the official founding of the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL), under whose auspices the HPB is being developed, will be celebrated at this year's membership meeting in Edinburgh in November 2004. This will be an occasion that calls for an appreciation of the past achievements and an opportunity for German libraries to reflect upon their role, their contributions and their participation in this joint European project.


The development of LSI components has induced a substantial research effort into the possibility of applying conglomerations of small processors on some computational problems previously limited to large processors. The primary advantages of "multi-microprocessor architectures" are their potential for improvements in cost, reliability, and possibly speed over conventional large computers. However, the realization of these advantages requires improvements in the techniques necessary to translate problems into parallel algorithms for multi-microprocessors, and in the architectures of the multi-microprocessors themselves. This paper describes an architecture currently being investigated at SUNY - Stony Brook. The first section discusses various strategies of design. The second section describes the structure of the proposed system. Finally, the third section discusses some classes of problems for which the architecture is suited.


Blur is an intrinsic property of the retinal image that can vary substantially in natural viewing. We examined how processes of contrast adaptation might adjust the visual system to regulate the perception of blur. Observers viewed a blurred or sharpened image for 2-5 minutes, and then judged the apparent focus of a series of 0.5-sec test images interleaved with 6-sec of readaptation. A 2AFC staircase procedure was used to vary the amplitude spectrum of successive test to find the image that appeared in focus. Adapting to a blurred image causes a physically focused image to appear too sharp. Opposite after-effects occur for sharpened adapting images. Pronounced biases were observed over a wide range of magnitudes of adapting blur, and were similar for different types of blur. After-effects were also similar for different classes of images but were generally weaker when the adapting and test stimuli were different images, showing that the adaptation is not adjusting simply to blur per se. These adaptive adjustments may strongly influence the perception of blur in normal vision and how it changes with refractive errors.


This article deals first with the newer knowledge of alpha-particle emission: that common and striking form of radioactivity, in which massive atom-nuclei disintegrate of themselves, emitting helium nuclei (alpha-particles) and also corpuscles of energy in the form of gamma-rays or high-frequency light. There follows a description of the contemporary picture of the atom-nucleus, in which this appears as a very small region of space containing various charged particles, surrounded by a potential-barrier; and the charged particles within, or those approaching from without, are by the doctrine of quantum mechanics sometimes capable of traversing the barrier even when they do not have sufficient energy to surmount it. The exponential law of radioactivity — to wit, the fact that the choice between disintegration and survival, for any nucleus at any moment, seems to be altogether a matter of pure chance — then appears not as a singularity of nuclei, but as a manifestation of the general principle of quantum mechanics: the principle that the underlying laws of nature are laws of probability. Moreover it is evident that transmutation of nuclei by impinging charged particles, instead of beginning suddenly at a high critical value of the energy of these particles, should increase very gradually and smoothly with increasing energy, and might be observed with energy-values so low as to be incomprehensible otherwise; and this agrees with experience.


This paper presents a way to calculate the phase center(PC)-phase gradient method After analyzing the characters of narrow beam antenna,authors bring out the formula to calculate the position of phase center of narrow beam antenna.


Resumen en: Donating plants coming from tuberous root sprouts, belonging to a sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) clone, INIVIT B 93-1, were placed in flasks co...


Have been fabricated rinds dryers with a capacity of 30 kg . The goal is to improve the manufacturing efficiency and rinds . This method of manufacture includes specifications ; drying chamber length 240 cm , width 100 cm , height 100 cm ( divided into two rooms ) . Space heat diverter cone type length 80 cm , width 100 cm , height 100 cm . Space heating length of 80 cm , width 50 cm , height 50 cm . Furnace length 80 cm , width 50 cm , height 50 cm . Booster blower to heat 220 v , 0:25 HP ( 1.5 knots ) , the number of 10 pieces drying rack with a length of 120 cm , width 100 cm . Dryer foot 40 cm high . Materials angle iron frame dryer 4x4 cm and outer wall wear plate with a size of 2 mm and a wall in the dryer wear steel plate with a size of 1 mm . Based on the evaluation of the performance test results obtained by the tool ; 6 hours long drying process , the temperature of the drying chamber 40 OC , the volume of the dryer 30 kg , and the need for fuel coconut shell 18 kg for 6 hours . The drying process by using a blower faster due to the spread of heat in the drying chamber more evenly , so that the water vapor in the crackers quickly lost through ventilation holes in the top of the dryer .


Number-size distribution of aerosols and its spatial variation, were observed in the free troposphere up to 11 km altitude over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, in the Pacific Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (PACE)-7 campaign in February 2000. Characteristics of the size distributions were observed in the relation to the different air mass. The spatial difference in the features of size distributions was clearly divided by the location of subtropical front. Over the extratropical region, the mode radii were large (0.03–0.06 mm), and the concentrations of aerosols in the accumulation mode (0:15 < r < 0:5 mm) were high, suggesting a strong influence from anthropogenic particles from the Asian continent. On the other hand, the size distributions in the subtropical air mass had the mode radii of 0.01–0.03 mm, and showed low concentrations of accumulation mode particle. Moreover, high number concentrations of very fine particles (0.004–0.01 mm radius), were distributed at upper altitudes (> 8 km) over 15–31 N latitude. These aerosols were assumed to be mainly sulfuric acid particles transported from the tropics. Size distribution at the center of subtropical jet streams was slightly aged, suggesting influence from the continent. However, it is basically resemble to the size distributions measured in the upper troposphere over the subtropical region. On the basis of the trajectory analysis, these aerosols would have been transported from the tropical upper troposphere, to the middle latitudes by Hadley circulation, and then mixed into the subtropical jet streams.


The method involves forming contours of the pond basin, and lining them with strips of plastics (7). The plastics is covered with layers of weave bamboo mat (17) and concrete (5), and the basin is filled. Prior to lining the contours, a sand drainage layer can also be incorporated. An Independent claim is included for the aqua culture basin.


Psammobatis extenta collected from the commercial bottom trawl fishery operating in Puerto Quequen, Argentina, between 2000 and 2001, had a sex ratio of 1 : 1 (535 specimens). Both the largest male and female measured 313 mm total length (L T ). The relationship between total body mass and L T . was significantly different between sexes; mature females weighed more than mature males for a given L T . The size at which 50% of males were sexually mature was 262 mm L T (83.6% of the maximum size), whereas 50% of females were mature at 249 mm L T (80.0%) of the maximum size). The gonadosomatic index in mature males and females was slightly higher during summer, but did not show significant variation over the sampling period. The hepatosomatic index of males and females was higher during the autumn and winter and followed a distinct seasonal pattern. Evidence suggested a continuous reproductive cycle during the year, with a maximum number of females carrying egg-cases in summer.


The goal of the work. Consider the importance and application of traffic monitoring systems. In the problem of traffic jams, on the example of one of the approaches to the city and proposals for improving traffic conditions, decongesting the roadway and ensuring the safety of traffic participants. Basic presentation. Floating car data (FCD) is commonly used to obtain travel data on individual roads and to evaluate traffic data algorithms. FCD, which is GPS data obtained from navigation devices and applications, provides data about the location and speed of the vehicle, which is the basis for the operation of automated traffic control systems. The area on the M-06 Kyiv – Chop highway, km 4+112, was chosen for the study. A special feature of this section is the dedicated left-turn lanes for turning in the opposite direction. Since cars cross the opposite direction during a U-turn, there is a danger of an accident in the areas of conflict points. In addition, there is a problem of traffic jams and a high rate of vehicle delays on this section of the road during "peak hours" To conduct a comparative analysis of traffic conditions on the site before and after the implementation of the solution, the PTV VISSIM software was used and 2 models were created. Data from the WIM system were used as the initial intensity data. Conclusion. This study allows for a more detailed study of the "Transport situation" of traffic conditions and the development of practical recommendations for ensuring road traffic safety with significant volumes of traffic flows.


Benson (1972) has identified four reasons for studying the past: to entertain, to create a group (or national) identity, to reveal the extent of human possibility, and to develop systematic knowledge about our world, knowledge that may eventually improve our ability to predict and control. On a conscious level, at least, we behavioral scientists restrict ourselves to the last motive. In its pursuit, we do case studies, program evaluations, and literature reviews. We even conduct experiments, creating artificial histories upon which we can perform our postmortems. Three basic questions seem to arise in our retrospections: (a) Are there patterns upon which we can capitalize so as to make ourselves wiser in the future? (b) Are there instances of folly in which we can identify mistakes to avoid? (c) Are we really condemned to repeat the past if we do not study it? That is, do we really learn anything by looking backward? Whatever the question we are asking, it is generally assumed that the past will readily reveal the answers it holds. Of hindsight and foresight, the latter appears as the troublesome perspective. One can explain and understand any old event if an appropriate effort is applied. Prediction, however, is acknowledged to be rather more tricky. The present essay investigates this presumption by taking a closer look at some archetypal attempts to tap the past.


With the increasing number of cars in modern society, the number of traffic accidents also increases, and the car anti-collision system can assist people to drive safely. Aiming at the problem that the current anti-collision system can not predict the transverse distance s between the vehicle body and the obstacles, which may lead to scratch. An obstacle location system based on ranging measurement and angle measurement is proposed. The horizontal distance between the vehicle and the obstacle can be determined to reduce the possibility of scratch. The specific method is to measure the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle by improving the auto-correlation algorithm, and to obtain the lateral distance s between the vehicle and the obstacle by using MUSIC algorithm to measure the angle between the vehicle and the obstacle, the Distance d between the obstacle and the side of the vehicle is obtained, and the distance d is judged, thus the function of preventing scratch is realized. The simulation results show that the system can effectively locate the distance and angle of the obstacle.


Aims and method To ascertain the competence of voluntary psychiatric patients to consent to neuroleptic medication and whether there is a hierarchy of tests of competence. A prospective, observational study of consecutive, voluntary admissions to an acute ward using a questionnaire designed to test four levels of competence, the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Brief Symptom Inventory.

Results All subjects ( n =40) could communicate a choice; 5% were competent at all levels. Tests were arbitrary and not hierarchical. Symptom relief/trust in doctors motivated most decisions to accept treatment.

Clinical implications The number and identity of individuals identified as competent will vary with the test set, and tests limited to cognitive criteria will not cover the complexity of the task.


References 1 Robbins SL, Cotran RS, Kumar V. Pathological basis ofdisease, 3rd edn. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1984:1250-2 2 Craig JB, Powell BC, Muss HB. Thymoma. Am Fam Physician 1984;29:229-34 3 Khope 88, Desmukh 88, Gandhi RK, Borwaukar 88, Kashyape S. Lymphocytic thymoma. Indian Pediatr 1984;21:977-81 4 Garfield GC. Thymoma: Unusual case and review of the literature. J Med Soc NJ 1983;80:826-8 5 Lendrum AC. The staining of eosinophil polymorphs and enterochromaffin cells in histological sections. J Pathol Bact 1944;56: 441 6 Holgate CS, Jackson P, Cowen PN, Bird CC. Immunogoldsilver staining: a new method ofimmunostaining with enhanced sensitivity. J Histochem Cytochem 1983;31:938-44 7 Ring NP, Addis BJ. Thymoma: an integrated clinico-pathological and immunohistochemical study. J PathoI1986;149:327-37 8 Kodama T, Watanabe S, Sato Y, Shimosata Y, Miyazawa N. An immunohistochemical study of thymic epithelial tumours,!. Epithelial component. Am J Surg PathoI1986;10:26-33 9 Rosai J, Levine CPoTumours of the thymus. In: Atlas oftumour pathology, 2nd series. 1976:34-7 Fasc. 13 AFIP Washington DC 10 Kissane JM, ed. Anderson's pathology, 8th edn. St. Louis: CV Mosby, 1985:1362-5 11 Blom P, Johannessen JV. A tumour of the anterior mediastinum. Pathol Res Pract 1983;178:83-5 12 Mitchell EB, Platts-Mills JA, Pereira RS, Malkovska V, Webster AD. Acquired basophil and eosinophil deficiency in a patient with hypogammaglobulinaemia associated with thymoma. Clin Lab HaematoI1983;5:253-7 13 Juhlin L, Michaelson G. A new syndrome characterized by absence of eosinophils and basophils. Lancet 1977;i:1233-5 14 Milnes JP, Goorney BP, Wallington TB. Pure red cell aplasia and thymoma associated with high levels of the suppressorl cytotoxic T lymphocyte subset. Br Med J 1984;289:1333-4


We argue that learning about the nature and utility of scientific models and engaging in the process of creating and testing models should be a central focus of science education. To realize this vision, we created and evaluated the Model-Enhanced ThinkerTools (METT) Curriculum, which is an inquiry-oriented physics curriculum for middle school students in which they learn about the nature of scientific models and engage in the process of modeling. Key components of our approach include enabling students to create computer models that express their own theories of force and motion, evaluate their models using criteria such as accuracy and plausibility, and engage in discussions about models and the process of modeling. Curricular trials in four science classes of an urban middle school indicate that this approach can facilitate a significant improvement in students' understanding of modeling. Further analyses revealed that the approach was particularly successful in clarifying and broadening students' understanding of the nature and purpose of models. The METT Curriculum also led to significant improvements in inquiry skills and physics knowledge. Comparisons of METT students' performance with that of prior ThinkerTools students suggest that the acquisition of metamodeling knowledge contributed to these gains. In particular, METT students wrote significantly better conclusions on the inquiry test and performed better on some of the far-transfer problems on the physics test. Finally, correlational results, including significant correlations of pretest modeling and inquiry scores with posttest physics scores, suggests that developing knowledge of modeling and inquiry transfers to the learning of science content within such a curriculum. Taken together, the findings suggest that an emphasis on model-based inquiry, accompanied by the development of metamodeling knowledge, can facilitate learning science content while also developing students' understanding of the scientific enterprise.


This study aims to determine (1) the effectiveness of Discovery Learning model by using Hand on Activity toward critical thinking abilities, and (2) to describe students' critical thinking abilities in Discovery Learning by Hand on Activity based on curiosity. This study is mixed method research with concurrent embedded design. Sample of this study are students of VII A and VII B of SMP Daarul Qur'an Ungaran. While the subject in this study is based on the curiosity of the students groups are classified Epistemic Curiosity (EC) and Perceptual Curiosity (PC). The results showed that the learning of Discovery Learning by using Hand on Activity is effective toward mathematics critical thinking abilities. Students of the EC type are able to complete six indicators of mathematics critical thinking abilities, although there are still two indicators that the result is less than the maximum. While students of PC type have not fully been able to complete the indicator of mathematics critical thinking abilities. They are only strong on indicators formulating questions, while on the other five indicators they are still weak. The critical thinking abilities of EC's students is better than the critical thinking abilities of the PC's students.


Significance Heterosis is a fundamental biological phenomenon and important to crop and animal production. However, molecular mechanisms for heterosis remain elusive. Ethylene promotes fruit ripening but inhibits vegetative growth. Here we report that diurnal down-regulation of ethylene biosynthesis genes in Arabidopsis thaliana F1 hybrids corresponds to the decrease of ethylene production and biomass heterosis. Expression of ACS genes is diurnally and indirectly regulated by CCA1 during the day and directly regulated by PIF5 at night. Disruption of ethylene biosynthesis or signaling transduction leads to higher biomass, while application of exogenous ethylene reduced growth vigor, further validating the negative roles of ethylene in biomass heterosis. Thus, ethylene can integrate circadian rhythms and light signaling to regulate growth vigor in plant hybrids. Heterosis is widely applied in agriculture; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms for superior performance are not well understood. Ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes are shown to be down-regulated in Arabidopsis interspecific hybrids. Ethylene is a plant hormone that promotes fruit ripening and maturation but inhibits hypocotyl elongation. Here we report that application of exogenous ethylene could eliminate biomass vigor in Arabidopsis thaliana F1 hybrids, suggesting a negative role of ethylene in heterosis. Ethylene biosynthesis is mediated by the rate-limiting enzyme, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS). Down-regulation of ACS genes led to the decrease of ethylene production, which was associated with the high-vigor F1 hybrids, but not with the low-vigor ones. At the mechanistic level, expression of ACS genes was down-regulated diurnally and indirectly by Circadian Clock Associated 1 (CCA1) during the day and directly by Phyotochrome-Interacting Factor 5 (PIF5) at night. Consistent with the negative role of ethylene in plant growth, biomass vigor was higher in the acs mutants than in wild-type plants, while increasing endogenous ethylene production in the hybridizing parents reduced growth vigor in the hybrids. Thus, integrating circadian rhythms and light signaling into ethylene production is another regulatory module of complex biological networks, leading to biomass heterosis in plants.


The paper examines the employment effects and the dynamic skill changes in labor market from a global value chains' perspective. With the Asian International Input and Output table, the paper estimates the direct demand of labor from final trade and distinguishes them by different skills. The results indicate that high skilled and semiskilled labor both grow both in employment and wages in which semi-skilled labor enjoys a higher growth rate. The wage difference between skilled and unskilled labor enlarges, while wage inequality between the skilled and semi-skilled declines. All the results show that the globalization enhanced the role of skilled labor in Malaysia and shocked the position of dominant unskilled labor. The results are examined empirically. Results show that participating in global value chains will increase the share of skilled labor while decrease the share of unskilled labor in Malaysia. The results also shed a light to the increasing wage inequality and labor market upgrading in developing countries.


Abstract With today's high competitive market, to afford the cost of warehouses is a very difficult task for the management in most of the countries. Managers are faced with the need to deliver a high level of service with minimal warehouse and inventory cost. Since a large ordered quantity increases the workforce of a warehouse. So it is necessary to develop tools which can help managers to handle warehouse to avoid the extra cost of handling. So it is economical to order the inventory according to available storage space. This problem is developed with the concept of space restriction in which demand is exponential, and deterioration is time dependent. Production is taken as a function of demand. The optimal cycle time is derived and the result is applied to numerical problems.


Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks have emerged as a significant social phenomenon for the distribution of information goods and may become an important alternative to traditional client-server network architectures for knowledge sharing within enterprises. This paper reviews and synthesizes the relevant computer science and economics literatures as they relate to P2P networks, and raises important questions for researchers interested in studying the behavior of these networks from the perspective of the economics of information technology.


This provocative article suggests that the utilities in countries where restructuring has been succesfully completed are poised to steal a march on many companies in more glamorous industries. Partly for historical reasons, utilities are exceptionally strong in particular competencies. With successful competitive strategy increasingly based on competencies, and because privatisation and liberalisation were such a baptism of fire,the author argues that utilities are "way ahead of their time".


This study aims to investigate the value creation and paradigm shift brought by Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) in the built environment. The focus of the study is on the implementation of IDD in Additions and Alternations (A&A) projects, using a case study of the conversion of a retail mall into a leasable office space for banking and medical operations in Singapore. The study examines the perception of IDD by project stakeholders, the benefits of IDD in A&A projects, and the barriers to IDD implementation. Results indicate that IDD implementation in A&A projects leads to improved time, cost, and quality, better design outcomes, and enhanced design coordination. The key obstacles to IDD implementation are the lack of IDD requirements, skilled IDD manpower, IDD-ready solution providers, and higher initial expenditures. This research adds to the existing body of knowledge on IDD in the built environment and highlights the importance of IDD for value creation and paradigm shift in the industry.


This study is quantitative in nature and aims to reveal the relationship between several forms of parental involvement with their teenager's academic achievements, differences of parental involvement based on the student's gender, and levels of the student's academic achievement. The study sample included 369 parents of students who are 14 or 15 years old (N = 369). To meet the goals of the study, a measuring instrument of 10 under scale based on self-reporting of parents was applied. Analysis of data was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and identification of the strength of correlations was used with Davis indicators (1971). Detection of gender differences was conducted by analyzing the T-test, while comparison of the average values for the parental involvement of differences on the basis of the level of achievement was made possible by analysis of variance ANOVA. Results show that there is a positive relationship (from weak to strong) between the academic achievement of students in mathematics and native language with parental involvement aspects. Parental involvement with homework in both mathematics and native language studies is positive and moderate. The parental expectation of progress and achievement in mathematics is strong, while in the case of native language European Scientific Journal May 2014 edition vol.10, No.13 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e ISSN 18577431 9 the expectation is substantial. The study also found gender differences -parents support girls more than boys. Students with high academic achievement were found to have careful parents who created a suitable environment for learning, were involved more in homework, and reported higher ratings for linguistic and mathematical knowledge in their children, compared with parents of students with average and low scores.


Corporate brands encourage marketing staff to give symbolic significance to products and services. Therefore, marketing staff devote a lot of time and energy to their own brand image construction through strategic brand management. However, some brand touches do not conform to usual practice of brand positioning strategy, for example, services contact between frontline staff and consumers, and existing literature lacks related empirical study. Through two experiments, this paper discusses the effects of the congruence between employee communication behavior and brand personality on consumers' brand attitudes, and tests the mediated role of information-processing fluency in the relationship above and the moderating role of product involvement in the relationship above. Experiment one shows that the interaction between employee communication behavior and brand personality affects consumers' brand attitudes and information-processing fluency plays a partial mediated role. Experiment two further confirms that with lower product involvement, the congruence between employee communication behavior and brand personality has a positive effect on consumers' brand attitudes. The conclusions enrich empirical study on the relation between employee communication behavior and brand construction in services touch, and provides reference for employee training and the improvement of consumers' brand attitudes.


When develop database programs on VB.NET,ADO.NET and ADOX can overcome the problem of dynamically constructing new databases and tables in the process of programmer running.The application of ADO.NET and ADOX in database programming using VB.NET is thoroughly discussed and practical reference is given through developing experience and application examples.The method has a practical value,and it can improve the flexibility of database programmer and meets the special need of users.


Introduction: The combination of a natural product and a synthetic antifungal may lead to a lower dose of each individual agent and  consequent reduction of adverse effects and greater pharmacological synergism. Objective: This study investigated the antifungal activity of the essential oil (EO) from Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume alone and combined with nystatin on Candida albicans growth  and micromorphology. Methodology: We determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Fractional Inhibitory Concentration  Index (FIC) and the effect of the EO alone and combined with nystatin on the growth kinetics and production of virulence-related  structures by the yeasts, such as pseudohyphae and chlamydoconidia. Results: When tested alone, the EO from C. zeylanicum and nystatin showed MIC of 312.5 μg/ml and 64 μg/ml, respectively. When combined, MIC values decreased to 39 μg/ml and 32 μg/ ml for the EO and nystatin, respectively. The value of the Fractional Concentration Index (FIC) was 0.6024, indicating additivity. It  could be observed that at all concentrations the products tested alone and in combination were able to reduce the number of CFU/ mL, when compared to the control group (p production of pseudohyphae and chlamydoconidia compared to the control. Conclusion: The combination between the essential oil from C. zeylanicum and nystatin potentiated the inhibitory effect on C. albicans growth. Furthermore, it reduced the production of  pathogenicity-related morphological structures such as pseudohyphae and chlamydoconidia. Key-words: Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Nystatin. Essential Oil. Natural Product. Drug synergism.


In this paper, we estimate the return to higher education for 12 African countries using recent data and a variety of methods. Importantly, one of our methods adjusts for the effect of higher education on the rate of joblessness, which is substantial in most African countries, and particularly for women. Our results confirm that Mincerian coefficients cannot be interpreted as a true rate of return, and that the latter (even after taking into account the employment effect) is considerably lower than what has previously been suggested in the literature (less than half). For Sub-Saharan Africa, we also uncover an interesting relationship between a country's level of education and the return to higher education: contrary to expectations, we find that in countries where a high proportion of the working age population is educated to tertiary level, the return to higher education is highest.


For the economic benefits of power transmission facilities during their whole life circle,we analyzed the technical and economic aspects of ultra-high voltage AC(UHVAC) and high voltage DC(HVDC) projects that have been put into operation.Based on the construction investment and operation losses,and taking several major factors into consideration,such as the line loss hours of the power transmission system,the on-grid price,the cost of the transmission line project,and so on,we calculated the economical current density levels of the lines which were used in a HVDC transmission system with long-term heavy load or in a UHVAC system with commonly light load,then the total conductor section area of the transmission lines.With further technical and economic analysis,we proposed that the economical current density levels of lines in the HVDC transmission system with long-term heavy load or in the UHVAC system with commonly light load should be around 0.5~0.6 A/mm2 and 1.9 A/mm2,respectively.Therefore,it is concluded that in order to decrease the operation losses ratio of the total system,conductors with larger cross-section on HVDC transmission projects and new diameter-expanded conductors on UHVAC transmission projects need further development.


Aromatic polyurea (PU) films were fabricated by vapor deposition polymerization using 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane. To investigate the influence of preparation conditions upon decay of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) after poling, two kinds of films were deposited: PU(No. 1) involving less residual isocyanate groups and PU(No. 2) with a smaller molecular weight and more residual isocyanate groups. PU(No. 2) showed significant decay, while PU(No. 1) did not. The results of IR spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the formation of urea bonds during poling of as-deposited films was due to reaction of the isocyanate groups with amino groups in PU(No. 1) and with water in PU(No. 2). We ascribed the SHG decay in PU(No. 2) to free volume formation by elimination of or plasticizing by CO2 generated during the above reaction, and/or to the smaller molecular weight.


between the existentiell possibilities we live in every day and the existential structure that is the condition of possibility for the former? If it's true that average everydayness consists in a secondary concealment whose unveiling can be achieved by ascending to the existential level, then the grounding relation between these levels should be unidirectional. But it isn't, for even after we arrive at a provisionally adequate existential analysis, real work remains (in accordance with the methods laid out at the beginning of Being and Time ): we must locate an existentiell possibility that "attests" to this analysis (the task of Being and Time II.2). This attestation isn't supposed to just assure us we're on the right track; the existential analysis, as a whole, has to be characterizable as a particular existentiell possibility. The unity Heidegger is asking after is much more radical than van der Heiden's reading can account for; roughly, the existential analysis that explains the unity of the basic structures of everyday life isn't adequate unless its own unity with everyday life can itself be displayed. In the context of Being and Time , this means that the existential structure must be recast in existentiell terms, a recasting that cannot simply be unfolded from the standpoint of authentic existence. Transposing this general result to our more specifi c consideration of van der Heiden's thesis, we should say that the disclosive aspect of language, for Heidegger, is radically beholden to an approach back to it from a displaced standpoint, even though the former represents (as van der Heiden rightly emphasizes) the condition of possibility for the latter. It bears noting that my suggestion is, on the one hand, deeply in accord with Derrida, since although I wonder whether his criticisms of Heidegger are always on-target, I think his development of Heidegger's thought is wonderfully, if sometimes unconsciously, attentive to its most radical, uncompromising aspects. On the other hand, my suggestion raises the disconcerting possibility that the very dissemination of the philosophical tradition that Derrida enacts is at the same time nothing other than the deepest possible fi delity to Heidegger's thought, and, by extension, the history of philosophy in the West, with all the meaningful baggage it inevitably carries along. Despite my concerns, van der Heiden's book is a worthy contribution to the literature on this vexed question.


Food supply veterinarians who intend to enter dairy cattle practice or other related career activities are in need of upgraded skills to better serve the dairy industry as it continues to evolve. As knowledge in all phases of veterinary medicine increases, the time available for students to increase their specific abilities within the conventional professional curriculum becomes more difficult, especially for those with food supply interests, as they are a minority of students competing for time and resources. The dairy industry has need of skilled veterinarians well-versed not only in their traditional capabilities, but also with an understanding of the complete picture of that industry as a "farm-to-fork" experience. Society at large also stands to benefit from a presence of skilled dairy veterinarians contributing to the production of safe, affordable dairy foodstuffs in a manner deemed sustainable and humane. Veterinarians in practice can and do acquire the necessary skills to make themselves relevant to their clients and consumers; however, better preparation of entry-level veterinarians can increase their value to their employers, their clients, themselves, and society in a more timely manner. Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine developed the Summer Dairy Institute (SDI) to provide an avenue for advancing skills of new veterinarians as a means to address the current and future needs of the dairy industry. The SDI has accumulated, from its nine years of existence with 183 participants from 38 veterinary colleges, valuable insights to aid in constant improvement of its offerings. This article describes the need, concept, and experience with the program.


User-centred design is a methodology for creating user-computer systems which give effective performance and are acceptable to users. These two goals are inter related since effective performance helps to make systems more acceptable to users (especially when their lives might depend on it) and acceptability to users helps to make systems more effective. The standard gives advice on systems design directed at both goals. The goals are not treated separately.


: Table tennis is a sport that needs high concentration and skills, and psychological factors are very important for athletes' performance. Among them, self-confidence is one of the key factors for psychological success in table tennis. This paper aims to explore the role of self-confidence in table tennis competition and how to cultivate and improve athletes' self-confidence.


Archaeological evidence suggests that the Chalcolithic period (5th–4th millennium BCE) in the southern Levant was a time of significant settlement expansion and increasing social complexity. Important technological and social developments during this era set the stage for the later rise of fortified sites and nascence of urbanization in the Early Bronze Age. Controversy surrounding the chronology of Chalcolithic settlement and the reconstruction of social trajectories has stimulated an interest in building a database of radiocarbon dates to measure the tempo of change and help resolve these issues. To facilitate social evolutionary research, this paper reviews and updates published 14C data for the southern Levantine Chalcolithic. The now-substantial database supports the generally accepted time frame for this archaeological period and allows synchronic comparisons across diverse geographic subregions in the southern Levant. In addition, it helps to temporally place the emergence of sophisticated technologies and the development of complex social institutions within the Chalcolithic period. However, radiometrically based attempts at pan-regional internal periodization of the Chalcolithic and fine-tuning of protohistoric events such as site establishment and abandonment are frustrated by the lack of precision in 14C dates, which limits their ability to resolve chronological sequence. Improved delineation of Chalcolithic social trajectories can be achieved most effectively by focussing research efforts on stratigraphic and typological investigations of deeply-stratified settlement sites such as Teleilat Ghassul and Shiqmim within their local contexts.


As ever, we bring you a range of clinically relevant articles in this month′s GIN. The series of organizational profiles continues. We often think that we are familiar with what the voluntary organizations do, but sometimes we can be surprised at the range of services and information on offer. And maybe we need reminding to make sure that all patients are put in touch with as many different organizations as are relevant to their needs. In an era when information is all too easily available via the internet, it can be very difficult for patients to identify which are the quality sources of information.


The role of a broad range of life events, especially those viewed as stressful, in the genesis of somatic illnesses or psychiatric disturbances is a subject of considerable interest. Recently attempts have been made to develop quantitative measures of life events and to explore the relationship between the 'amount' of life events and/or stress and illness in a general population (Rahe et al., 1968; Rahe et al., 1970): for example, The Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaire (SRRQ) (Holmes and Rahe, 1967). In the development of this scale a list of 43 life events was presented to a sample of 394 subjects. Marriage was arbitrarily assigned a value of 500, and the subjects were asked to compare the amount of relative readjustment they would anticipate from the other events. Means and item rankings (Masuda and Holmes, 1967) have been reported to be relatively consistent in groups of different age, sex, marital status, education, social class, generation American, religion, race and cultural background (Holmes and Rahe, 1967). These findings have been found reliable with patients on our unit and in a group of medical students (Mendels and Weinstein, 1972). Paykel et al. (1971) performed a study of weightings of a list of life events and obtained weights which were highly significantly correlated for the 14 items that were identical to those found on the SRRQ. They tested a mixed group of psychiatric patients and found that in general those events defined as 'exits' were scaled high, whereas events defined as 'entrances' had lower values.