The following reports are from the plenary lectures, workshops, symposia, roundtable discussions, and working group meetings convened during the 17th Meeting of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, held in Jolly Beach, Antigua, 14–18 July 2009. The scientific program and all abstracts from the meeting can be downloaded from www.scscb.org. Report from the workshop "Restoring seabirds and other native species in the Caribbean: A workshop to empower participants to prioritize, plan, and secure funding for removing damaging non-native vertebrates from islands"


Temperature-responsive epigenetic regulation clarifies a 50-year-old mystery in reptiles Sex determination in reptiles is a complex affair, because incubation temperature and genes interact in many species to regulate sexual development and decide sexual fate, male or female (1–4). A central question that has remained unanswered is, what molecular mechanism allows temperature to so profoundly influence the developmental pathways that determine sex? The means to identify a master sex-determining gene in species with genetic sex determination is well established—identify genes on the sex chromosomes, demonstrate which of these are differentially expressed in male and female embryos early in development, and manipulate their expression to demonstrate reversal of sex (5–7). Not so with identifying the mechanisms of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Temperature could exert its effect on any of the many autosomal genes involved in sexual differentiation, even those peripherally involved, provided their altered expression is capable of reversing sex. Little wonder that, in the 50 years since TSD was discovered in reptiles (8), we have not advanced far in our understanding of the mechanisms of TSD. This is about to change. On page 645 of this issue, Ge et al. (9) report that transcription of the chromatin modifier gene Kdm6b (lysine-specific demethylase 6B) responds to temperature in the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta elegans, and confers temperature sensitivity to a key sex-determining gene, Dmrt1 (doublesex- and mab-3–related transcription factor 1).


The position and orientation of an object embedding with a permanent magnet can be acquired in real time via a magnetic tracking system. However, one characteristic of the magnetic tracking technique is its varied tracking accuracy along with the tracking distance. Hence, this paper tends to investigate the relationship between the tracking accuracy and the distance from the magnet to the sensor array by both simulations and experiments. Results show that the relationship is expressed as a cubic polynomial equation, and that the equation coefficients are related to the properties of the magnet and the signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor outputs. When the magnet is located at a distance from 36 to 96 mm above the sensor array, the system had the best performance, while average localization and orientation errors were 0.70 mm and 1.22°, respectively. Thus, this system achieved the best tracking accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art of magnetic tracking systems. This paper is helpful to the researchers who want to implement a magnetic tracking system or need to know clearly the valid tracking distance of a magnetic tracking system.


Eight examples of biosynthetic pathways wherein a natural enzyme has been identified and claimed to function as a catalyst for the [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, namely, Diels-Alderases, are briefly reviewed. These are discussed in the context of the mechanistic challenges associated with the technical difficulty of proving that the net formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition under study indeed proceeds through a synchronous mechanism and that the putative biosynthetic enzyme deploys the pericyclic transition state required for a Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction.


In this study, the formation and evolution mechanism of residual stress in the process of solution heat treatment of a 316L/Q235B composite plate and the influence law of different factors on residual stress were analyzed by combining experiments and simulation. The results showed that the bending stress caused by interlayer thermal stress was the main factor that formed residual stress in the process of solution heat treatment of a 316L/Q235B composite plate. Tensile load was helpful to reduce the bending deformation of the composite plate during heat treatment, and ultimately improve the uniformity of residual stress distribution in the composite plate. With the increase in the total thickness, the interlayer thermal stress and bending stress between layers increased, and the primary and secondary relationship between them and residual stress was related to the specific thickness. The composite ratio had a great influence on the distribution of residual stress. When the composite ratio increased, the interlayer thermal stress between layers of the base layer increased, while that of the cladding layer decreased. At the same time, the bending stress increased with the increase in the composite ratio, and then affected the residual stress distribution.


MUSIC algorithm is often applied in direction of arrival estimation of communication signal or radar signal. But the traditional MUSIC algorithm is not applicable in the presence of the correlational signals. Combining with time average processing, an algotithm of two-dimensional space-time average is suggested on the base of space average technic especially for the DOA estimation of CDMA communication signal. A detaild analysis and a conclusion about this improved algorithm is presented. Ensuring the accurary of the estimation an efficient decrease in quantity of operation is achieved with the algorithm, so it is more suitable for real-time processing. The efficiency of the improved algorithm is attested by the emulating results.


Background and purpose The cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) plays an important role in the mechanism of cognitive impairment and is also pivotal in the switch from short-term to long-term memory. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) seems a promising avenue in the treatment of cerebral ischemia injury since this neurotrophin could stimulate structural plasticity and repair cognitive impairment. Several findings have displayed that the dysregulation of the CREB–BDNF cascade has been involved in cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cerebral ischemia on learning and memory as well as on the levels of CREB, phosphorylated CREB (pCREB), and BDNF, and to determine the effect of minocycline on CREB, pCREB, BDNF, and behavioral functional recovery after cerebral ischemia. Methods The animal model was established by permanent bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries. Behavior was evaluated 5 days before decapitation with Morris water maze and open-field task. Four days after permanent bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries, minocycline was administered by douche via the stomach for 4 weeks. CREB and pCREB were examined by Western blotting, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. BDNF was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Results The model rats after minocycline treatment swam shorter distances than control rats before finding the platform (P=0.0007). The number of times the platform position was crossed for sham-operation rats was more than that of the model groups in the corresponding platform location (P=0.0021). The number of times the platform position was crossed for minocycline treatment animals was significantly increased compared to the model groups in the corresponding platform position (P=0.0016). CREB, pCREB, and BDNF were downregulated after permanent bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries in the model group. Minocycline increased the expression of CREB, pCREB, and BDNF, and improved cognitive suffered from impairment of permanent bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries. Conclusion Minocycline improved cognitive impairment from cerebral ischemia via enhancing CREB, pCREB, and BDNF activity in the hippocampus.


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On the basis of the thesis about four levels of scientific knowledge: sensory, empirical, theoretical and metatheoretical, the author asserts that a certain set of information about forensic traces is a complete scientific knowledge in the form of a doctrine. The postulates of each level of scientific knowledge about traces of crimes are disclosed. The versatility and complexity of these levels are shown.


The thesis of this paper is that the traditional European university is now extinct; that the conditions in higher education which have succeeded it are highly unstable and therefore transitory; and that its eventual replacement is now dimly perceptible on the horizon. Accordingly, the first section attempts to describe what it is that has passed away, the middle sections analyze the processes involved in both death and transformation, and the final section assesses the prospects for the future. The subject of these speculations, the European university, is of course an abstraction. It is meant to approximate the essential attributes of higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. The systems of higher education in each of these countries are largely financed and controlled by public authorities. In the not too distant past these institutions of higher learning were Ordinarienuniversitiiten, or professors' universities, with respect to their internal affairs, and "elite" in their relationship to society. These institutions also, it will be argued, passed through fundamentally similar transformations since World War II. The purpose of this endeavor is not to describe these events, but to identify the processes at work behind them. The ultimate end, then, is a conceptual scheme for interpreting the recent past and immediate future of European universities. This scheme will undoubtedly not fit any country perfectly, but it should be adaptable to the unique institutional situation and pace of events in each country. Because the aim is thus general, no attempt has been made to amass relevant statistics, even though many of the arguments are numerical in nature. The basic data on growth and social composition of enrollments are well known and widely available, chiefly from the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development.


in this paper, we discuss an agentbased solution strategy to the new customer centric economy created by the internet, this solution strategy include changing the current supply chain model into a value net model that is driven by the customer, a new agentbased communication langugge based on the extensible marked language is proposed.


We discuss pattern formation in defect distributions in irradiated solids beyond the scope of the linear stability analysis (LSA) by studying the stationary solutions of an appropriate model system of diffusion-reaction equations. It is shown that mutual recombination and annihilation of point defects by neutral sinks introduce upper bounds to the amplitude ratio and the wavelength, in addition to the lower bounds already found in LSA, restraining the spectrum of periodic solutions substantially. The predicted range of wavelengths is consistent with experimental observations.


Abstract A novel algorithm for the detection of underwater man-made objects in forward-looking sonar imagery is proposed. The algorithm takes advantage of the integral-image representation to quickly compute features, and progressively reduces the computational load by working on smaller portions of the image along the detection process phases. By adhering to the proposed scheme, real-time detection on sonar data onboard an autonomous vehicle is made possible. The proposed method does not require training data, as it dynamically takes into account environmental characteristics of the sensed sonar data. The proposed approach has been implemented and integrated into the software system of the Gemellina autonomous surface vehicle, and is able to run in real time. The validity of the proposed approach is demonstrated on real experiments carried out at sea with the Gemellina autonomous surface vehicle.


In this paper, we focus on improvement of the monovalent cation perm-selectivity of a perfluorinated cation-exchange membrane, Nafion 117, by depositing an anion-exchange layer using a plasma surface modification process. The anion-exchange layer was deposited from 4-vinylpyridine monomer vapor followed by quaternization with 1-bromopropane. The transference number of divalent cation (Fe2+) through the membrane, tFe, decreased with increasing thickness of the plasma polymer layer at the expense of enhanced membrane resistance. A large interfacial resistance was observed between Nafion and the plasma polymer layer which was ascribed to the implantation of cationic species containing nitrogen. To avoid the formation of an interfacial layer, a novel method of plasma-induced surface modification was devised. After a Nafion 117 sheet was placed on an RF (radio-frequency) electrode and sputtered with an oxygen or argon plasma in order to produce active sites on the Nafion, 4-vinylpyridine or 3-(2-aminoethyl)ami...


The parent compound, cyclophosphamide, has no cytotoxic activities and must be metabolized by the hepatic microsomal P-450 cytochrome oxidase enzyme system to active compounds.(l) Phosphoramide mustard, one of the metabolites, is believed to be responsible for the cytotoxic action.(2) Through cross-linkage of D N A strands, phosphoramide mustard inhibits DNA synthesis and replication and hence causes cell death.


ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lower level of physical activity was observed in the population, which may influence the level of pain self-efficacy in the population with musculoskeletal pain. In this context, this study sought to analyze whether there is an association between the time of physical activity practice and the level of pain self-efficacy in the population with pain during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of São Paulo, controlled by biopsychosocial variables. This study was conducted via an online form with questions about sociodemographic aspects, weekly physical activity practice, stress and anxiety levels, pain intensity and pain self-efficacy (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire - PSEQ-10). The analysis was determined by two models of multiple linear regression, with (Model A) and without (Model B) the control of data by psycho-emotional factors (anxiety and stress) in 150 subjects. An association was found between weekly physical activity practice time and pain self-efficacy level, Model A (p=0.0271, β=1.914) and Model B (p=0.0333, β=1.826). Pain intensity during the pandemic, body mass index (BMI) and sex, among the control variables, also were associated with the pain self-efficacy level. A higher time of physical activity practice was associated with a higher pain self-efficacy level in the population with musculoskeletal pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pain intensity during the pandemic, BMI and sex also were associated with pain self-efficacy level.


Objective:Use the modified cumulative illness rating scale brought in Chinese version to investigate the prevalence of comorbidity in patients with lung cacner,and its impact on chemotherapy safety. Methods:Comorbidity was assessed with the MCIRS. Stratified according to the score of MCIRS,age and karnofsky performance score(KPS) to study the incidence of chemotherapy toxicity. Results:One hundred and ten patients with lung cancer were divided into three groups by age:55~64,65~74,≥75.Ninty-nine cases had comorbidity. The average score of MCIRS,average number of affected organ systems,average number of affected organ system with severe disease (levels 4-5) all increased with age(P0.05). With the score of MCIRS rising,the occurrence rate of nausea and vomite (P=0.035),leukopenia (P=0.042),aglobulia (P=0.022),fever and infection (P=0.039),fatigue (P=0.038) all significantly increased in 92 cases who accepted chemotherapy. There were no change in the incidence of toxicity when stratified by age or KPS. Conclusion:Comorbidity is the important factor affected chemotherapy safety of lung cancer,not age. According the score of MCIRS to predict chemotherapy toxicity is more sensitive than KPS. Stronger monitor is needed when patients with high sores of MCIRS accepted chemotherapy.


While decades of theoretical research have led to the invention of several classes of error-correction codes, the design of such codes is an extremely challenging task, mostly driven by human ingenuity. Recent studies demonstrate that such designs can be effectively automated and accelerated via tools from machine learning (ML), thus enabling ML-driven classes of error-correction codes with promising performance gains compared to classical designs. A fundamental challenge, however, is that it is prohibitively complex, if not impossible, to design and train fully ML-driven encoder and decoder pairs for large code dimensions. In this paper, we propose Product Autoencoder (ProductAE) -- a computationally-efficient family of deep learning driven (encoder, decoder) pairs -- aimed at enabling the training of relatively large codes (both encoder and decoder) with a manageable training complexity. We build upon ideas from classical product codes and propose constructing large neural codes using smaller code components. ProductAE boils down the complex problem of training the encoder and decoder for a large code dimension $k$ and blocklength $n$ to less-complex sub-problems of training encoders and decoders for smaller dimensions and blocklengths. Our training results show successful training of ProductAEs of dimensions as large as $k = 300$ bits with meaningful performance gains compared to state-of-the-art classical and neural designs. Moreover, we demonstrate excellent robustness and adaptivity of ProductAEs to channel models different than the ones used for training.


Fretting fatigue is a damage process that may arise in engineering applications where small cyclic relative displacements develop inside contacts leading to detrimental effects on the material fati ...


In this paper, a two stage production process is considered such that there is only one machine M1 in the first stage and two machines M2′, M2″ in the second stage. It is assumed that the output of M1 is the input for M2′, M2″. During the breakdown time of M1, a reserve inventory is suggested for M2′, M2″, to prevent the idle time, which is costlier. An inventory model is derived here based on certain assumptions to find the optimum size of the reserve inventory of the semi-finished product of the machine M1 to supply the machines M2′, M2″ till M1 resumes the function. Numerical illustrations are provided.


A solids dryer (10) is positioned downstream from a centrifuge with inside-out filter (1), whereby the solid is dehumidified and dried in the centrifuge with inside-out filter by spinning, compressed gas compression and/or heat convection, and in the dryer by heat contact and/or heat convection. The centrifuge with inside-out filter and solids dryer are connected by a locking device (18) to form a single unit. Sensors (35, 63-69) measure the prevailing levels of dehumidification and dryness and determine other operating parameters. The sensors activate a common control unit (71) which regulates the operating parameters.


Context In this fifth analysis of the CapitalCube™ Market Navigation Platform[CCMNP], the focus is on the CaptialCube Closing Price Latest [CCPL] which, is an Interval Scaled Market Performance [ISMP] variable that seems, a priori, the key CCMNP information for tracking the price of stocks traded on the S&P500. This study follows on the analysis of the CCMNP's Linguistic Category MPVs [LCMPV] where it was reported that the LCMPV were not effective in signaling impending Turning Points [TP] in stock prices. Study Focus As the TP of an individual stock is the critical point in the Panel and was used previously in the evaluation of the CCMNP, this study adopts the TP as the focal point in the evaluation montage used to determine the market navigation utility of the CCPL. This study will use the S&P500 Panel in an OLS Time Series [TS] two-parameter linear regression context: Y[S&P500] = X[TimeIndex] as the Benchmark for the performance evaluation of the CCPL in the comparable OLS Regression: Y[S&P500] = X[CCPL]. In this regard, the inferential context for this comparison will be the Relative Absolute Error [RAE] using the Ergodic Mean Projection [termed the Random Walk[RW]]  of the matched-stock price forecasts three periods after the TP. Results Using the difference in the central tendency of the RAEs as the effect-measure, the TS: S&P Panel did not test to be different from the CCPL-arm of the study; further neither outperformed the RW; all three had Mean and Median RAEs that were greater than 1.0—the standard cut-point for rationalizing the use of a particular forecasting model. Additionally, an exploratory analysis used these REA datasets blocked on: (i) horizons and (ii) TPs of DownTurns & UpTurns; this analysis identified interesting possibilities for further analyses.


The present invention relates to a multifunctional domestic food treatment method and its equipment. Said method includes three programs of pulverizing, cooking soybean milk and cooking rice paste. Said equipment comprises machine shell body, motor heater, single-chip microprocessor, cup body, signal collecting circuit, actuator circuit, control circuit and switch key, etc. Said invention also can be used for cooking sesame paste and peanut paste, and also provides its application method.


We consider families of conical K\"ahler-Einstein metrics on rank one horosymmetric Fano manifolds, with decreasing cone angles along a codimension one orbit. At the limit angle, which is positive, we show that the metrics, restricted to the complement of that orbit, converge to (the pull-back of) the K\"ahler-Einstein metric on the basis of the horosymmetric homogeneous space, which is a projective homogeneous space. Then we show that, on the symmetric space fibers, the rescaled metrics converge to Stenzel's Ricci flat K\"ahler metrics.


Mental health and wellness are integral parts to person's overall health and happiness. Globally, there has been an increased initiative to treat and support people living with mental health issues and disease; the Balkan region of southeastern Europe is no exception. A literary review researching the background of mental health treatment and how it intersects with the unique history and current administrative environment within the nations of the former Yugoslav Republic was conducted. Existing literature about mental health prevalence and practices within the region was analyzed and contextualized with historical perspectives. Significant gaps in research literature were identified, including lack of research into everyday mental disorders in the region that are not to do with the recent civil war, a need for standardized data collection about where mental health infrastructure exists within the region and how effective it is in treating patients, and finally economic research to determine how and by which governing body national healthcare systems should be funded. Filling these gaps in knowledge would greatly reduce barriers to mental healthcare and overall wellness within the Balkans.


This study investigated the significant relationship between the extent of pre-and in-service training of kindergarten teachers and their performance ratings in 2020-2022. The profile of teachers was identified, which focuses on educational attainment, number of years in teaching and in-service and pre-service seminars attended by teachers, the extent of the pre and in-service trainings, and their performance ratings in two consecutive years. This study employed a non-experimental correlational research design, and the respondents were the 385 kindergarten teachers in the Division of Sarangani. The results showed that 70.87% are non-Early Childhood Education graduates and 17.47% of the kindergarten teachers are pursuing master's degrees, not specializing in Early Childhood Education, and 7.77% are pursuing master's degrees specializing in Early Childhood Education. Findings revealed that the pre-service trainings of kindergarten teachers are less extensive. However, the in-service trainings for kindergarten teachers are highly extensive. The performance rating of the kindergarten teachers in the two school years is Very Satisfactory. There was a strong significant relationship between the extent of pre and in-service teachers' training and their performance rating in the two school years. With the results of the study, it is recommended that teachers teaching kindergarten should pursue a master's degree specializing in Early Childhood Education. Also series of trainings and seminars should also be conducted to help kindergarten teachers improve their performances.


This paper describes the successful use of geosynthetic applications for reinforced soil structure and pavement rehabilitation for two projects in Philippines. The first project involved the use of geosynthetic reinforcement consisting of a composite continuous fiber nonwoven geotextile reinforced with high strength polyester yarns for the construction of an 18m high slope. The nonwoven component provides in-plane drainage capacity while the high tenacity polyester yarn provides tensile strength. The second project involved the successful use of reinforced glass paving fabric for Subic International Airport runway rehabilitation works. The paving fabric consists of a continuous filament nonwoven needle punched polypropylene geotextile reinforced with high strength glass fiber. It can extend the design life service of the new asphalt overlay more than twice compared to the conventional overlays method without paving fabrics. The installation procedure, bitumen selection, spray rate and testing of the adhesion between the new asphalt overlay - paving fabric - old asphalt concrete overlay for the successful application of the paving fabric are also highlighted in this paper. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214938.


the Achaeans assigned to the sons of Theseus as part of the spoils of war on the capture of Troy. This is a delightfully artistic touch of the poet and a delicate reminder of the time of the action, if we suppose that Troy had been taken only a few days before; but entirely unmeaning and unreasonable if we suppose the sack of Troy to have preceded by eight or ten years. In the latter case, the question at once arises, why Athena had delayed so long the occupation of the land, and why she should be thus employed at this particular moment. In my opinion, by the words of Athena the poet tells us distinctly that the action of the Eumenides followed immediately the close of the Trojan war, and hence immediately after the action of the Agamemnon.


The production task for very large metal mirrors by micromachining has been addressed by various manufacturors on this SPIE forum. We as a machine tool builder have since years focussed on providing air-bearing turn-tables of diameters from lm up to 5m diameter. With less than 1μm departure from planarity and roundness these - tables are used not only for metrology but for machining of such large mirrors specifically.


There seems to be an irrepressible desire within every Super 8 mm film maker to graduate to 16mm movie making. The reasons are understandable. Besides the improved picture and sound quality, the most obvious advantages of such a move are in the areas of distribution and exhibition. 16mm film format is an accepted cinema format, it is physically more enduring, it is much cheaper than 35mm movie and can be shown in various environmental conditions. The distribution and exhibition of 16mm films has become the duty of many film lending libraries and private companies. On this format, one's story and message may reach larger audiences than one was used to in the past with the more intimate Super 8 mm.


The digital frequency synthesizer (DFS) is an integral part of the programmable local oscillator (PLO) which is being developed for the NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) and radar astronomy. In this report, the theory of operation and the design of the DFS are discussed, and the design parameters in application for the Goldstone Solar System Radar (GSSR) are specified. The spectral purity of the DFSis evaluated by analytically evaluating the output spectrum of the DFS. A novel architecture is proposed for the design of the DFS with a frequency resolution of 1/248 of the clock frequency (0.35 _tHz at 100 MHz), a phase resolution of 0.0056 degrees (16 bits), and a frequency spur attenuation of -96 dBc. DFS for Radar Astronomy Jet Propulsion Laboratory PRL'_CEDiNG PAGE BLA_,!K NOT FILMED V


Lycopene is one of the most important and very much useful carotenoid traced in many fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant substance which plays critical role in cancer prevention, sun protection, asthma, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol and in maintenance of the immune system of the body. This study made for to assess the concentration and presence of lycopene in various vegetables which are included in our day to day diet. For this spectrophotometric analytical techniques were used and nutritionally important data is traced out from the experimentation.


The purpose of the study was twofold. First, we examined social-contextual experiences hypothesized to contribute to the development of effectance motivation and perceived competence. We took observational measures at the initiation and termination of two educational computer interventions—Logo and curriculum-based instruction in writing (CBI-W) — as forty-eight third-grade students worked in pairs. Second, we examined the extent to which posttreatment group differences in teacher ratings of effectance motivation and self-ratings of perceived competence explained previously-documented posttreatment differences in cognitive performance [1]. Results suggested that evaluation of success was internally determined in the Logo environment, though students still sought external approval. Although students exhibited a higher frequency of difficult and failure experiences, Logo enhanced effectance motivation and higher-order thinking. Furthermore, Logo may foster cognitive growth in part by engendering effectance motivation.


This study aimed at investigating the ability level of practice – teaching students in applying the knowledge aspect of questioning, and the effect of their academic specialty area in this ability.
To achieve this objective, the researcher developed a (30) items achievement test, which includes probing questions, closed ended questions, open-ended questions, Bloom's taxonomy questions, and other questions related to the psychology and procedures of asking questions. He also insured the validity of the test through a group of judges, and calculated its reliability by using Kuder-Richardson (20) formula, and it was (0.80).
To answer the study questions and to test its hypotheses, the researcher has chosen randomly (88) students whose their specialty area was classroom teacher. He used 2 Ways ANOVA, and "t" test. The results were as follows:
1. There was a statistical significant difference in the students ability of asking questions between the accepted educational level and their real level, in favor of their real level.
2. There was a statistical significant difference in the students ability of applying the knowledge aspect of asking questions between the two specialty areas of students (scientific, literary) in favor of the scientific stream.
3. There was no statistical significant difference in the students ability of applying the knowledge aspect of asking questions, due to the sex variable, and to the interaction between sex and specialty area variables.
The study recommended that the asking questions ability of literary students should be diagnostic in order to upgrade their level.


in constitutional development it is part of a scheme which altered the internal structure of the United Kingdom; and to the political scientist it is an experiment in devolution. In this article the term is used with the meaning it has for the constitutional lawyer wishing to refer to the existence within the United Kingdom of a subordinate legislature and executive, and a separate judiciary; alternatively, the phrase denotes the Government of Ireland Act, 19201 (referred to in this article as "the Act of 1920"), as subsequently amended. But no work relating to the Constitution of Northern Ireland would be complete without a reference to the use of the phrase as the title of the classic commentary on the subject, the monumental and fundamental work by the late Sir Arthur Quekett, first holder of the office of Parliamentary Draftsman to the Government of Northern Ireland.2 The objects of this article are to analyse various proposals made between 1886 and 1920 for the constitutional settlement of the Irish question; to describe the provisions of the Act of 1920 which regulate various matters in Northern Ireland today; and to note some developments which have taken place since 1921 in the legislative and executive spheres, and in the realm of judicial review. Only the legal aspects of these matters will be considered, for the position of the events described in other perspectives, such as those of historys and political science,' must be left to those trained in *LL.B., Ph.D. (Belfast); of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland, Barrister-at-Law; Third Parliamentary Draftsman to the Government of Northern Ireland. The writer wishes to point out that this article is written in his personal capacity, not his official one.


Implementing Neural Networks in hardware has been a major problem due to the complexity involved in generating non-linear functions. The high hardware costs incurred in real time applications can be substantially reduced by adopting a suitable reuse methodology of the neurons. In addition, neurons with high speed of operation are necessitated to realise hardware efficient real time pattern recognition for images with higher resolution. In this regard, the response time and area of a neuron becomes critical in realising VLSI efficient neural networks. In this paper, the digital architecture of a multiple valued logic neuron has been proposed to realise a neural network implementation for real-time pattern recognition purposes. The proposed neuron uses a multilevel sigmoidal function as the activation function. Flat CORDIC, a new variation of the CORDIC algorithm, has been employed to generate the complex multi-level activation function in a VLSI efficient manner. The proposed neuron operates with a 200 MHz clock and has significant hardware and latency savings when compared to conventional CORDIC based neurons.


ISSN 1481-0433 * Prof. Claude Comtois is Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Pacifi c Foundation of Canada, an associate of the Interuniversity Research Center on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation, Université de Montréal and professor of geography at the Université de Montréal. Prof. Comtois has a degree in political science, a M.Sc. in geography from Laval University and a Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong for his research in the fi eld of transportation. His teaching and research are centred on transport systems with an emphasis on shipping and ports. He is a co-author of the Geography of Transport Systems, published by Routledge and has published many articles in scientifi c journals on port and marine transport. Greening the Asia Pacific Gateway: Sustainability as a Competitive Asset


In 2008 president Obama decided for an "open data" policy on governments' data resources and opened since 2009 10th of thousands of data. The EU commission followed in 2009 with the "Open Forum" initiative [www.openforumeurope.eu]. Although the European Union opts for a policy to open up data resources member states made the restriction to do it in a structured form, until now the exposure is poor and traditional. The EU policy enclosing restrictions to "open" data, puts aside the neutrality (free entrance for all) of the Internet. The main difference [Mayer-Schonberger and Cukier, 2013] between control of data (according to its source: single data or metadata) by governments and the private sectors is: "Governments can force civilians and the private sector to submit and provide data". H.V. Jagadish et al. 1 [2012] mention "Big Data" in the previous context as an overall system that focuses on data integration to make use of scale, bridge timelessness, complexity and privacy problems, which is currently influenced and controlled by Google, Facebook, Twitter, Firefox, Internet Explorer and similar competitive browsers. How do they collaborate with governments and the private sector? Collusive tacitly or more explicit? At present we have entered the era of the web 4.0. Van Rijmenam [2013] describes the development of the intelligent web in four era's: (1) web 1.0 or the era of e-mail 1990 – 2000, (2) web 2.0 or the social web era 2000 – 2010, (3) web 3.0 or the semantic web era 2010 – 2020, and (4) web 4.0 or the intelligent web era 2020 and beyond. The web 4.0 or the intelligent web stands for reasoning, which includes the use of structured and unstructured data and has to meet criteria of validity, because "open" data, statistics, and analytics are fundamental and require a transparent environment, certification, and refutability. That's what determines the value of Google, Twitter, Facebook, and their competitors. They are controlled by a new aristocracy of data possessors (fiefs, the feud), which in line with Adam Smith [The Wealth of Nations, 1776] represent a territory free from interference by the state. Who benefit the most? The governments, the private sector, or the civilians?


According to The World Health Report 2006, the Japanese average life expectancy of 82 years of age ranked first in the world. In terms of age structure, those aged 0–14 years are classified as the juvenile population, aged 15–64 years are classified as the productive age population, and those aged 65 years and older are classified as the aged population. In 1997, the aged population surpassed the juvenile population in Japan. With a continuing decrease in birthrate and an increase in aging, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimates that the aged population will account for a quarter of the total population by 2015, and the number is predicted to reach 2.3 million by 2025. Of this population, a pressure ulcer is expected to occur in 1 in 5–10 people, and is of concern with regards to impact on the health care economically. This impending increase resulted in the Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers being established in 1998. The following six items are known as pressure ulcer risk factors for the Japanese population: decreased activies of daily living (ADL), abnormal bony prominence, articular contracture, decreased nutrition, skin moisture and edema. A nursing care plan is made on the basis of evaluation of these six items and pressure ulcer condition, as determined by an evaluation tool, DESIGN (1). Moreover, establishing a pressure ulcer countermeasure team, including doctors and nurses, and arranging the system to select and use a body pressure distribution mattress will improve outcomes. The Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers requested an incentive medical fee be paid to the hospitals who established the abovementioned system and approach. However, in the year of application, due to the national policy of reducing the entire medical expenditure by 3·4%, there was no incentive payment but rather a penalty system being introduced in 2002. The Society expected that the incentive payments to hospitals would drive the pressure ulcer countermeasures. Ironically, however, the negative impact of the penalty system on hospitals finances had the required impact which led many medical institutions to emphasise pressure ulcer countermeasures. In fact, 2·5-fold more participants gathered at the Annual Congress of Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers in the year following the introduction of the penalty system than in the previous year–there were many participants who could not enter the full congress room. This episode describes the intensity of the impact of the penalty system and heightened interest in pressure ulcers. Subsequently, the penalty system was reviewed in 2006, and the long-awaited incentive system was issued. Furthermore, at the institutions where pressure ulcer carerelated, specially trained dedicated nurses are deployed as pressure ulcer managers, it became possible to claim an additional fee for pressure ulcer high risk patient care as an incentive. In addition, the recognition of the pressure ulcer care techniques performed by wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nurses


We have studied the polarization properties of dielectronic satellite lines in Be-like Fe ions excited through resonant electron capture by an electron beam. Using the photon density-matrix formalism, we have calculated the degree of polarization and polarization-dependent spectra of dielectronic satellite lines, i.e., the spectral intensity distribution of lines associated with a given polarization state. Theoretical results have been compared with experiments performed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory electron-beam ion trap where dielectronic satellite line emission from Fe ions produced at different energies of the electron beam was simultaneously recorded with two crystal spectrometers. These spectrometers had different polarization sensitivities. The experimental spectra recorded by the two spectrometers are reproduced by the theory. This ability to model the polarization dependence of x-ray line spectra is important for the diagnosis of electron beams in plasmas. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}


The effect of rainfall on landslide is a widely discussed topic.This paper expatiates the process of the action between the rainfall and landslide from some aspects such as the substance conditions and structure conditions that determine the stability,environmental conditions that affect the stability,rainfall,rainfall infiltration,rainfall density,and the variation of mechanical properties of soil,etc. We have accomplished the large scale field test of landslide inspired by artificial rainfall and laboratory soil test.The test results illustrate that there is a linearly descending relationship of the cohesion and angle of internal friction with the water content.The landslide inspired by rainfall mainly and other factors is a complex process.


Objective:To study the effect of Matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1) expressio n and activity in rat renal interstitial fibroblast by using the Shenshuaibaoshe n Capsule. Methods:Methods:60 Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control grou p,model control group,Shenshuaibaoshen capsule low dose group and capsule high dose group.The adenine caused renal interstitial fibroblast model is adopted.the groups were administered for 8 weeks,renal tissue I,Ⅲ collagen,MMP-1 expressio n and MMP-1 activity had been assayed by using immunohistochemistry,RT-PCR and z ymography. Results:The I,Ⅲ collagen reduced expression in Shenshuaibaoshen capsule gro up,and the MMP-1 expression and activity increased.There was significant differe rence with model group(P 0.01). Conclusion:The Shenshuaibaoshen capsules play a reducing role of renal inter stitial fibrosis.It may be through enhanced MMP-1 expression and activity to red uce the renal tissue I,Ⅲ collagen accumulation.


In this paper, the list of names and titles, ranks and terms of office of governors chronologically named as vali/mutasarrif/vali of Kastamonu eyâlet (province named as vilâyet after 1867) of the 19th century Ottoman Empire tried to be stated based on both Sâlnâme-i Devlet-i Aliyye-i Osmaniye also known as devlet sâlnâmes (Ottoman state yearbooks from 1847 to 1918) and yearbooks of Kastamonu vilâyet sâlnâmesi (yearbooks of Kastamonu province from 1869 to 1903) which provided us with a great deal of information relating to the administrative departments of the vilâyet that includes lists of officials. It also aims to contribute to the prosopographical studies of the Ottoman governors.


1. Gaps and facts. Possible-worlds semantics claims that fictions are possible worlds, but, disturbingly, in some essential features they differ from, or are even in contrast to, the formalized systems that are known by that name in logical semantics. One of the most troubling contrasts is that possible worlds of logical semantics are complete, but fictional worlds of literature are not. The theorem of incompleteness has been accepted almost unanimously by the philosophers and literary theorists who formulated the possible-worlds semantics of fictionality from David Lewis to Ruth Ronen (Lewis 42-43; Heintz 90-92; Howell 134-35; Eco, Role 217-22; Parsons 182-85; Wolterstorff 131-34; Dolezel, "Literary" 194-95; Pavel 105-13; Ronen 108-43; and others). The Carnapian test of incompleteness is simple: only some conceivable statements can be said to be true or false with respect to a given fictional world while others are undecidable. It is false to state that Emma Bovary died a natural death; it is true that she committed suicide; but we cannot decide the question whether she did or did not have a birthmark on her left shoulder (Heintz 94). Referring to a cause celebre of literary criticism, Nicholas Wolterstorff explains what kind of lack we are faced with: "We will never know how many children had Lady Macbeth in the worlds of Macbeth. That is not because to know this would require knowledge beyond the capacity of human beings. It is because there is nothing of the sort to know" (133). Nicholas Rescher and Robert Brandom are even more definite when pointing out the source of the undecidability: "The situation is not just that we don't know whether P or its contradictory [similar to] P, but that the world itself is indeterminate in this regard in its make-up - it is ontologically indecisive in point of P vs. [similar to] P" (Rescher and Brandom 5). Barry Smith, having distinguished between ontological and epistemological incompleteness (a distinction derived from Husserl's and Ingarden's suggestions), comes to the same conclusion: fictional objects are ontologically incomplete since "from the very start we can exclude the possibility of supplementary information, information which would be additional to that which is to be found in (or, within certain limits, read into) the texts themselves" (381). The incompleteness of fictional worlds results from the very act of their creation. Fictional worlds are brought into existence by means of fictional texts, and it would take a text of infinite length to construct a complete fictional world. Finite texts, the only texts that humans are capable of producing, necessarily create incomplete worlds. Since the shape of the fictional world is determined by the constructing fictional text, the incompleteness is controlled and modulated by the author's choices implemented in his/her writing. To construct a fictional fact, the author has to create an authenticating texture; if he/she writes nothing that is, produces zero texture - no fictional fact comes into existence, and thus a gap appears in the fictional world. This situation means that the number, distribution, and function of gaps is a variable, depending on the author's aesthetic principles, on his individual style, and on the historical and genre norms implemented. Some telling instances of this diversity have been pointed out in recent literary semantics. So, for instance, I have indicated how the radically incomplete physique of the hero of a Romantic narrative serves a specific stylistic aim: a physical detail surrounded by emptiness is brought into sharp focus and thus offered for symbolic interpretation (Dolezel, "Note"). Thomas G. Pavel has observed that "authors and cultures have the choice to minimize or maximize" the "unavoidable incompleteness" of fictional worlds; he has suggested that cultures and periods of a "stable world view" tend to minimize incompleteness whereas periods of "transition and conflict" tend to maximize it (108-09). …


The utility model discloses a press-fit device for an outer bottle cap and an inner bottle cap. The press-fit device comprises a mechanism for installing the outer bottle cap in a sleeved mode, a rotary workbench, an inner bottle cap installation base, a press-fit air cylinder, a base and an air cylinder driving mechanism. The mechanism for installing the outer bottle cap in the sleeved mode comprises a conveying sliding rod, a gas ejector pipe, a clamping air cylinder set, a lifting air cylinder, a telescopic air cylinder and a sucker. The conveying sliding rod is provided with a U-shaped groove. Pipe holes for installing the gas ejector pipe are formed in the two side faces of the sliding rod. The clamping air cylinder set comprises two clamping air cylinders which are symmetrically arranged. The shape formed by the ends, close to each other, of the two clamping air cylinders corresponds to the shape of outer side edge of the outer bottle cap. The lifting air cylinder comprises a cylinder body and a lifting rod moving on the cylinder body. The telescopic air cylinder comprises a cylinder body and a telescopic rod moving on the cylinder body. The cylinder body of the lifting air cylinder and the cylinder body of the telescopic air cylinder are combined into a whole. The sucker is fixed to the lower portion of the telescopic rod. The tail end of motion displacement of the sucker is located above the tail end of the conveying sliding rod. According to the press-fit device, the purposes that the outer cap is rapidly pressed on the inner cap and combined with the inner cap can be achieved.


Post-gasterectomy obstraction of the afferent loop is a serious disease where sudden abdominal pain occurs once complete occlusion develops, and unless appropriate surgical measures are taken early, the condition leads to dilatation, perforation, and necrosis of the afferent loop, with a fatal outcome. In this paper we investigated the pathology and clinical features of this disease to discuss its problems in 13 cases experienced at the hospital and 72 domestic cases which could be seen in the literature. In resconstructive procedures for the initial operations. Billroth-II in a portion anterior to the colon was most commonly employed in a frequency of 68.3%. Limiting to our experience with cases undergoing gastrectomy, these 4 cases represented 1.0% of Billroth-II cases, these 2 cases represented 0.68% of total gastrectomy cases. Preoprative correct diagnosis rate was a low 34.1%, where ultrasonography and CT were usful. Death cases were more frequently noted in those of which diagnosis and teratment were delayed after the onset of the disease. The important life-saving measure is early diagnosis after the onset. If abdominal pain occurs after gastrectomy, it is necessary to keep in mind the probable presence of this disease.


Dried and ensiled corn were each steeped with aqueous SO2 or water at initial pHs of 4-5; both were also steeped with aqueous SO2 at pH7. Initial steepwater composition or pH had less effect on yields of individual fractions and recoveries of various components than did differences between dried or ensiled corn. Recovery of starch after milling was appreciably higher with ensiled corn. Protein recovery in gluten decreased, but this was partially counterbalanced by increased protein content of the steepwater from ensiled corn. Results using batchwise steeping or a simulated countercurrent procedure were similar, though the latter gave higher starch recoveries. Disciplines Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Biological Engineering Comments Published in Cereal Chemistry 61, no. 1 (1984): 8–14. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cbe_pubs/2


Referring to the data of statistical yearbooks and peasant household questionnaires,the effects of ecological agriculture with commodity(EAC) implemented in southern,central,northern An′sai County were evaluated by using the evaluating indicator system and the weights.Results showed that in last 10 years,the EAC in An′sai County experienced 3 stages: economic system recession and ecosystem smooth transition stage,economic system recovery and ecosystem rapid development stage,and economic system quick growth and ecosystem sound wave stage.The EAC development state was in the "fair" grade in 1998—2001,which evolved into the "good" grade in 2002—2009 and is expected to achieve the "superior" grade by 2015.During this process,the EAC system tended to be a coordinated development state,but there were also some uncoordinated problems in parts,such as resource-shortage in livestock husbandry and resource-waste in vegetation,which constrains the EAC advancement in An′sai County.


To investigate the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behaviors of high‐strength 7075 and 2024 Al alloys, FCP experiments were conducted for the two alloys at different aging states (underaged (UA), peak‐aging (PA) and overaged (OA)). It is found that strength and plasticity are the main factors influencing the FCP. For 7075 Al alloy, the FCP curves almost coincide for the three aging states that have similar tensile properties. However, 2024 Al alloy shows the lowest FCP rate at the UA state which has the strongest strength‐plasticity match among the three aging stages. Based on the low‐cycle fatigue damage model, the effect of strength‐plasticity balance on FCP rate of the two Al alloys at different aging states was quantitatively analyzed. It is found that the larger the strength‐plasticity balance of the alloy is, the smaller the FCP rate under the same stress intensity factor. This study indicates that the FCP rate of high‐strength Al alloys is mainly influenced by the strength‐plasticity balance due to the difference in the aging states.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


'Hanongzaqie No.1'is a new processing eggplant F1 hybrid,develop by crossing T142 as female parent with T72 as male parent.This variety is of early maturity.The plant has strong growth vigor.The plant has green leaves and purple stem.Its fruits are long with 25-28 cm in length and 4.5-5.0 cm in diameter.Its peel is shiny black with green calyx and good luster.The fruit pulp is delicate white.Each single plant can grow 10-12 fruits.The single fruit weight is 130-140 g.It takes about 110-115 days for the plant to bear fruits.It is high resistant to Verticillium wilt and tolerant to weak light and storage and transportation.The average yield is over 75 t·hm-2.It is suitable to be planted in all long purple eggplant production areas.


Background: The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2476601 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene has been presented to implicate in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) in a few association investigations with limited sample size and inconsistent conclusions. Methods: The aim of the current meta-analysis was to assess and synthesize the presently available data on the connection between rs2476601 and AA vulnerability. Six electronic databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang data, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), were systematically retrieved for relevant observational studies published previous to November 2018. Total odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were analyzed to evaluate the correlation between PTPN22 polymorphism and AA. Risk of bias was estimated according to the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Sensitivity analyses were carried out using the RevMan 5.3 software. Results: In general, 5 case–control studies including 1129 AA patients and 1702 healthy control individuals were obtained for this meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that rs2476601 SNP was significantly associated with AA susceptibility under allelic model (C vs T, OR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.64–0.92, P = .003) and recessive model (CC vs CT + TT, OR = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.60–0.88, P = .001). Conclusion: On the basis of the results of the current research, the rs2476601 polymorphism of PTPN22 gene is significantly correlated with AA susceptibility. The C-allele and CC-genotype carriers at this locus have a lower risk of AA.


After a decade of busway investment, light rail transit (LRT) has reemerged as an inner-city transit investment in Australia. In the next decade, Australian LRT network size will grow by about 25%. Analysis shows that Australian LRT is dominated by the streetcar network in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (one of the largest in the world). Although LRT networks have not expanded much, ridership growth has been substantial (more than 46% between 2001 and 2012) and well above systemwide (all mode) growth of public transport ridership in most cities. In general, the service level (i.e., frequency and span of hours) on Australian trams was low compared with that of European and U.S. systems. Also, service levels did not keep pace with ridership growth, which acted to increase the ridership productivity of most Australian LRT. Melbourne led Australia in terms of ridership productivity (passengers per vehicle kilometer); Melbourne Tram Route 109 had the highest ridership (935,000 annually) and service effectiveness (11.5 passengers per vehicle kilometer). Between 2006 and 2013, Australian LRT ridership growth was higher than ridership growth in the United States. However, U.S. service levels grew substantially more than service levels in Australia did during this same period. The outcome was that, although Australian service effectiveness grew by 20%, service effectiveness in the United States fell by 8%. Recently, Australian LRT planning has focused on the so-called streetcar struggle (i.e., the action taken to reduce the congestion effects of growing road traffic on LRT performance). Medium-term plans for new system development identified LRT as a solution to facilitate urban access, urban redevelopment, and reliable and higher-capacity transit in congested inner-urban bus transit contexts.


This paper explores migrants experiences and their specific practices geared towards negotiating migration barriers and the effects of externalization. Contemporary migration from Eritrea is shaped by changing migrant aspirations, expanding networks of intermediaries and socioeconomic challenges. This is compounded by the European Union's (EU) externalization of border controls and limited opportunities for legal migration paths. In this context, a vast majority of Eritrean young men and women opt for overland exits through dangerous and long trails across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea until they arrive in Europe. The irregular transitions and stepwise mobility are facilitated by the interactions of actors, mainly smugglers, family members in one's homeland, former migrants en route and in the diaspora as well as the local people along the trails, which I call infrastructures of migratory mobility. The paper argues that migrants and their communities develop and use alternative mobility infrastructures by establishing a transnational knowledge community to navigate increasing migration controls in origin and transit countries, as well as the externalization of European borders and migratory controls.


Ion cyclotron wall conditioning (ICWC) is based on low temperature and low density plasmas produced and sustained by ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) pulses in reactive or noble gases. The technique is being developed for ITER. It is tested in tokamaks in the presence of toroidal magnetic field (0.2–3.8 T) and heating power of the order of 105 W. ICWC with hydrogen, deuterium and oxygen–helium mixture was studied in the TEXTOR tokamak. The exposed samples were pre-characterized limiter tiles mounted on specially designed probes. The objectives were to assess the reduction of deuterium content, the uniformity of the reduction and the retention of seeded oxygen. For the last objective oxygen-18 was used as a marker. ICWC in hydrogen caused a drop of deuterium content in the tile by a factor of more than 2: from 4.5 × 1018 to 1.9 × 1018 D cm−2. A decrease of the fuel content by approximately 25% was achieved by the ICWC in oxygen, while no reduction of the fuel content was measured after exposure to discharges in deuterium. These are the first data ever obtained showing quantitatively the local decrease of deuterium in wall components treated by ICWC in a tokamak. The oxygen retention in the tiles exposed to ICWC with oxygen–helium was analyzed for different orientations and radial positions with respect to plasma. An average retention of 1.38 × 1016 18O cm−2 was measured. A maximum of the retention, 4.4 × 1016 18O cm−2, was identified on a sample surface near the plasma edge. The correlation with the gas inlet and antennae location has been studied.


One Bacillus subtilis strain NK-1 with high fibrinolysis activity was screened from traditional Chinese food Douchi with a fibrinogen plate. By single factor and orthogonal tests, the optimal fermentation conditions of NK-1 were obtained as follows: soybean tryptone 1.0%, glucose 2.0%, temperature 35℃, initial pH 7.0, fermentation time 72h. Under these conditions, the highest fibrinolytic activity could reach 1225.5 urokinase IU/mL.


This study had as its objective to evaluate the morphometric characteristics of the catchments of the Corrego Rico watershed, the sub-basin of the Mogi-Guacu River, located in the administrative region of Ribeirao Preto, the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in order to measure physical parameters and topographical features of the natural drainage system. The procedures for obtaining the data were all based on remote sensing and geographic information systems. The topographic maps corresponding to the study area were extracted for analysis in the geographical information systems ArcView of the dimensional characteristics of the drainage and relief patterns. The watershed is considered a sixth order of magnitude basin, with 542 km 2 of area, with 85 catchments of the second order, 22 catchments of the third order, 4 catchments of the fourth order and 2 catchments of the fifth order. Using the geometric criterion, at the upriver sub-basins, the predominant models are dendritic and subdendritcs, while downstream the subparallel model is predominant, respectively, in the areas of occurrences of Bauru sandstones and effusive rocks.


The invention belongs to the technical fields of refrigeration/heating and frost prevention and particularly relates to a solution-assistant energy-storage domestic air conditioner. The technical key point is that the air conditioner comprises a traditional indoor unit and an outdoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit also comprises a solution tank, a solution heat exchanger and a regenerator; the solution tank and a spray system which is mounted outside the outdoor hear exchanger form a circulation loop through a solution pipeline, a solution pump I and a solenoid valve I; a cycle fluid is a hygroscopicity saline solution; the spray system is capable of spraying the hygroscopicity saline solution on the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger; the solution tank, the solution heat exchanger and the regenerator are connected in sequence through a solution pipeline to form a regeneration circulation loop; a solution pump II and a solenoid valve II are mounted at the solution pipeline; a cycle fluid is the hygroscopicity saline solution. According to the solution-assistant energy-storage domestic air conditioner, when outdoor temperature is lower in winter, the air conditioner can run in a frostless way in the heating process, energy consumption can be reduced, and the system performance is improved.


Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a potentially fatal complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of SBP are vital to shorten hospital stays and reduce mortality. According to society guidelines, patients with cirrhosis and ascites who are admitted to the hospital should have diagnostic paracentesis. However, for various reasons, paracentesis may be delayed or not performed. Therefore, recent research has focused on identifying non-invasive parameters useful in SBP prediction which require urgent antibiotic therapy if rapid and secure paracentesis is not possible or there is insufficient experience with this method. In this review, we discuss the non-invasive methods available to predict SBP.


We report the first single-mode Cr: ZnS depressed cladding buried waveguide laser manufactured by femtosecond laser writing. The laser yields 150 mW average power at 2272 nm wavelength with 11 % slope efficiency. © 2019 The Author(s)


The RCS of the almond model which was affected by the change from electromagnetic parameters (ε and $\mu)$ of the absorbing patch was researched, and the moment method was utilized. The $\varepsilon$ andμ of the absorbing patch can be measured and the values were assumed to vary with equal difference in the interval of 5%~30%, the measured values of $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$ worked as variable which were used to calculate the RCS of the almond model with the different $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$ of the patch. Here, two almond model RCS were obtained, one is circumferential RCS which generated by the gradient of $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$ of absorbing patch, and the other Radar Cross-Section (RCS) generated by the known electromagnetic parameter measurements. Comparing the two RCS mentioned above, the calculated results show that for the HH polarization, the undulation values of the almond model RCS vary within 0.4dB when the real part of $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$ of the absorbing patch vary within 5%-30% at 10GHz, and for the VV polarization, the undulation values changes within 2.5 dB, Moreover, the polar differences of both polarizations decrease with the increase of the real part of the $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$, in both polarization modes, the polar RCS is sensitive to the variation of $\varepsilon$ and $\mu$, and the VV polarization is much more sensitive than the HH polarization.


Inspired by recent work in soft attention and hierarchical recurrent neural network models, we propose an attention based hierarchical model for image captioning and video recognition. Our model extracts features from different layers of the Convolutional Neural Network and enables implicitly regularizing the network based on previous attentions. We show that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on MS COCO while learning where to focus at different time steps.


The sections in this article are

Introduction
Advantages of Microelectrodes in Single Cell Studies
Fabrication of Planar Microelectrodes Using Photolithography
Functional Three-dimensional Micromachined Electrochemical Devices
Advantages of Using Three-dimensional Microstructures
Biosensors, Microfluidics, Microarrays, and Lab-on-a-Chip

Self-referencing Microelectrodes
Ion-selective Microelectrodes
Self-referencing Amperometric Microelectrodes

Scanning Probe Microscopy and Single Cell Measurement
Semiconductor Devices for Biological Sensing
Corroborative Measurements for Single Cell Electrochemistry
Future Prospects


This article proposes a pluralist approach of mixing various methods and soliciting various actors in solving rampant human rights problems in North Korea. Human rights issues in Pyongyang need to be tackled simultaneously with other concerns of the Korean peninsula such as peace building and economic growth without prioritizing one norm or task over others. Realism, liberalism, and constructivism all help us understand and improve North Korea''s human rights problems. We should continue our efforts to increase the sensitivity of North Korea to human rights issues with sticks and carrots. International organizations, non-governmental organizations, and states should make concerted efforts to compel North Korea to observe human rights norms. While North Korea''s human rights issues should be approached resolutely by holding the perpetrators accountable for their crimes, the complicated dynamic also requires dialogue and communication, humanitarian aid, investment, mutual education, and cultural exchanges by multiple actors.


In May–June 1952 I was able, through the guidance and with the generous assistance of Mr. Seton Lloyd, Director of the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara, to visit the monuments of Sumatar Harabesi on two occasions, the first for three days, the second for six days. The shortness of my stay there, the restricted circumstances under which I was operating and, above all, the lack of the equipment required to carry out a precise and satisfactory survey—all combined to allow no more than a comparatively superficial examination of the site. I have, nevertheless, ventured to present my preliminary findings here, until the opportunity may occur for at least a partial clearance of the site and a more detailed survey.


Review on CYP7A1 (cytochrome P450, family 7, subfamily A, polypeptide 1), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated.


In this paper,a rotating Timoshenko beam is investigated.The effect of shear deformation is includ- ed into flexural deflection.Then,considering the coupling effects of deformations in the extensional and flex ural deflection,the second-order coupling terms of deformations in two displacement fields are developed.At the same time,the axial inertial force and transverse distributed force are considered.The new governing dif- ferential equations of the beam in the geometrically non-linear kinematics of deformation are derived using finite element technique and Hamilton's principle.Numerical examples of a rotating Timoshenko beam are studied to analysis the frequency and tip deflection of the proposed methods,and to investigate the effect of axial inertial force and transverse distributed force and the'softer effects'resulting form the coupling effect,with different angular velocities and high-length ratios.


Results of a correlation study of the rabbit neutralization, complement fixation, skin and slide neutralization tests for toxoplasmosis are presented. The agreement between these is fairly striking, except those from the complement test.
 Reversal of a positive test was found to occur in the sera of six patients, and, in three instances, the prozone phenomenon was revealed.
 The new slide neutralization test of Sabin and Feldman appears to be the most accurate, the most economical and the quickest test available at present for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.


Accurate prediction of bird species from audio recordings is beneficial to bird conservation. Thanks to the rapid advance in deep learning, the accuracy of bird species identification from audio recordings has greatly improved in recent years. This year, the BirdCLEF2019[4] task invited participants to design a system that could recognize 659 bird species from 50,000 audio recordings. The challenges in this competition included memory management, the number of bird species for the machine to recognize, and the mismatch in signal-to-noise ratio between the training and the testing sets. To participate in this competition, we adopted two recently popular convolutional neural network architectures — the ResNet[1] and the inception model[13]. The inception model achieved 0.16 classification mean average precision (c-mAP) and ranked the second place among five teams that successfully submitted their predictions.


.............................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Atmospheric Aerosol and Processes .................................................................... 9 1.1.1 Aerosol .......................................................................................................... 9 1.1.2 Aqueous Secondary Organic Aerosol (Aq-SOA) ....................................... 12 Chapter 2: Decarboxylation of Pyruvic Acid and Glyoxylic Acid in Ammonium Salt Solutions as Aqueous Aerosol Mimics ............................................................................. 15 2.1 Abstract .............................................................................................................. 16 2.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 18 2.3 Experimental ...................................................................................................... 21 2.3.1 Glassware and Chemicals ........................................................................... 21 2.3.2 Data Collection ........................................................................................... 22 2.3.3 Reaction Setup ............................................................................................ 22 2.3.4 Data Processing ........................................................................................... 25 2.4 Results and Discussion ....................................................................................... 27 2.4.1 Decarboxylation from glyoxylic and pyruvic acid ..................................... 27 2.4.2 Rate of the Decarboxylation and Order of the Reaction ............................. 28 126.96.36.199 Derivation of Rates of Decarboxylation .................................................. 28 22.214.171.124 Derivation of the Order of the Reaction .................................................. 30 184.108.40.206.1 Determination of Order with Respect to NH4 Ion ............................ 31 18.104.22.168.2 Determination of Order with Respect to Glyoxylic Acid .................. 33 18.104.22.168.3 Determination of Order with Respect to Pyruvic Acid...................... 34 2.4.3 Organic Acid Precursors and Concentration............................................... 35 2.4.4 Inorganic Salts and Concentration .............................................................. 38 3 2.4.5 Effect of Ionic Strength ............................................................................... 41 2.4.6 Mechanism of Decarboxylation .................................................................. 44 2.5 Atmospheric Relevance...................................................................................... 46 2.6 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 48 2.7 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ 50 2.8 Supplemental Information .................................................................................. 50 Chapter 3: Ultrahigh Resolution FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry Characterization of Aqueous SOA Formed in Dark Reaction of Methylglyoxal and Ammonium Sulfate ..... 51 3.1 Abstract .............................................................................................................. 52 3.2 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 53 3.3 Methods .............................................................................................................. 56 3.3.1 Glassware and Chemicals ........................................................................... 56 3.3.2 Aqueous SOA Sample Preparation ............................................................. 56 3.3.3 Ultrahigh Resolution ESI FT-ICR MS Analysis ........................................ 57 3.3.4 Assignment of Molecular Formulas............................................................ 58 3.4 Results and Discussion ....................................................................................... 60 3.4.1 Overview and Mass Spectra ........................................................................ 60 3.4.2 CHO Compounds ........................................................................................ 65 3.4.3 CHNO Compounds ..................................................................................... 69 3.4.4 CHOS and CHNOS Compounds ................................................................ 71 3.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 72 3.6 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ 73 3.7 Supplemental Information .................................................................................. 73 Chapter 4: Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 74 References ......................................................................................................................... 76


study objectives : The aims of this study were to describe the different appearances of pleural fluid during thoracentesis and their frequency in relation to diagnosis, and to evaluate the causes and clinical implications of bloody pleural effusions. Setting : Secondary care, 600 beds Surin hospital. Subjects and methods : One hundred twenty-four patients with pleural effusion were retrospectively assessed from October 2003 to September 2004. Results : Pleural effusions developed in 124 hospital admissions. Their sizes were small (27%), moderate (48%), large (20%), and loculated (5%). The associated conditions were infectious: pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 37), bacterial pneumonia (n = 21), empyema (n = 9), parasitic disesas (n=5) and Dengue hemorrhagic fever (n=2); and noninfectious: paramalignancy (n=9), malignancy (n = 6), hepatic cirrhosis (n = 6), pancreatitis (n = 3), congestive heart failure (n = 3), atelectasis (n = 3), hypoalbu-minemia (n = 2), renal failure (n = 1). The most common presentations were serous and blood tinged, with 82% of the fluids fitting into one of these categories. The most frequent cause of serous fluid was tuberculosis. There were 18 bloody and 67 nonbloody pleural fluids. The most common cause of bloody pleural effusion (BPE) was malignancy (32%). Nevertheless, only 36% of the neoplastic effusions were BPE. Other common causes of BPE were parapneumonic (21%) or parasitic dis-eases(16%) pleural effusions. Tuberculosis was the most common causes of pleural effusion. Fluid that was bloody fluid in appearance, increased the probability for neoplasm and parasitic disease(OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 2.02 to 4.42; p = 0.05 and OR, 5.65; 95% CI, 3.79 to 7.51; p = 0.05, respectively). Conclusions : Serous and blood tinged were the most common presentations of pleural fluid at thoracentesis. Almost half of BPEs were secondary to neoplasms, but only 32% of the neoplastic effusions were BPEs. Other common causes of BPE were parapneumonic and parasitic diseases. Key Words : bloody appearance, pleural effusion, pleural tuberculosis


Summary Two series of unanesthetized rats were infused intraarterially with standardized volumes of 1.46 M (50% w/v) sucrose over the range 2.0 to 5.0 ml/100 g body weight. Animals in one of these series had been exposed 5 days earlier to the same concentration of sucrose at 2.0 ml/100 g body weight. These latter animals constituted the adapted groups. Comparison of the sucrose tolerance of adapted animals with nonadapted revealed that previous exposure to hypertonic sucrose significantly increased the resistance of twice-loaded animals to the damaging effects of the hypertonic solution. Evaluation of the excretion patterns of urinary solutes and the relationships between urine flow and solute concentrations suggest that a reduction in GFR may occur in nonadapted animals as load of hypertonic sucrose is increased from 2.0 to 4.5 ml/100 g b.w. Similar loads given to adapted animals appear less effective in their GFR depressing actions. The authors gratefully acknowledge the excellent assistance of Mr. Don deSteiguer and Mr. Russell Moses.


Owing to the J-turn's safety effectiveness, it has become a viable alternative to replace high-crash, two-way, stop-controlled intersections on high-speed expressways. National guidance on the design of J-turns on high-speed highways is limited. What is the safety effect of spacing between the intersection and the U-turn? Under what circumstances is the provision of acceleration lanes recommended? This study answered these questions through a safety assessment on the basis of (a) an examination of crashes that occurred at 12 J-turn sites in Missouri and (b) a simulation-based assessment of the effect of various design variables and traffic flows. The crash review revealed the proportions of the five most frequently occurring crash types at J-turn sites: (a) major road sideswipe (31.6%), (b) major road rear-end (28.1%), (c) minor road rear-end (15.8%), (d) loss of control (14%), and (e) merging from U-turn (10.5%). The crash rates, accounting for exposure, decreased with the increase in the spacing to the U-turn for sideswipe and rear-end crashes; J-turns with a spacing of 1,500 ft or greater experienced the lowest crash rates. The crash rates were lower for J-turn sites with acceleration lanes for minor road traffic merging onto the major road than for sites without acceleration lanes. A calibrated simulation model analysis revealed that the presence of acceleration lanes reduced conflicts for all volumes and designs, including low volumes. The simulation analysis also reinforced the crash analysis results that safety improved with an increase in spacing between the main intersection and the U-turn.


It is shown that hardness of the elastic element of the extemal roll burnisher depends on the diameter of the workpiece. The formula for calculating the minimum hardness of the elastic element is proposed. The reference table for selection of the hardness of the elastic element depending on the machining efforts, the diameter and the material of the workpiece is given.


Love, kindness, and compassion. These are words that seem to be finding their way out of the treatment process when it comes to dealings with someone suffering from a terminal illness. We must always remember how truly important and vital each human being is - no matter the stage of life.


In this paper, motion differential equation of the two degrees of freedom(2-DOF) vehicle is established based on the linear two degrees of freedom vehicle model and is derived without simplifying the front wheel steering angle(FWSA), then we analyze the vehicle's steady-state response , transient response and the amplitude-frequency characteristic of yaw velocity under different FWSA with the help of the matlab software and finally compare the results with the simplified ones to determine how the FWSA influences the level of the vehicle handling and stability(VHS). At the same time in order to better improve the VHS, this paper proposes a set of active control theory to optimize vehicle's steady-state performance.The results show that: while the FWSA is small, it has a less influence on vehicle handling and stability, the FWSA is large,it has a greater influence on vehicle handling and stability and the active control can make the vehicle in the best response state when it is in the steady-state.


Tests in CSF laboratories have given evidence for the excellent quality of the bunching in the first section. Tests on the site starting in january 1968 were performed during all the year. Operations with both electron and positron beams give many results, namely maximum electron energy 640 MeV with zero current and 540 MeV with 40 mA peak current and an energy distribution with FWHM 3 to 4/1000. The maximum peak current obtained was 60 mA and no beam break-up does appear. Operations were performed at duty cycles of 1 % and 2 % with electron beam power of the order of 100 kW during many shifts of 30 hours ; energy stability was better than 1 % for 30 hours. Special devices helping to handle the beam inside and outside the linac at such a power level are described. First measurements of e+/e- conversion efficiency give an intensity ratio of positron beam relatively to electron beam, above 400 MeV positron energy, of the order of 10-3 and improvements are expected.


Prominent activity of the 1998 Giacobinid meteor shower was observed from 11h UT through 15h UT on October 8 in Japan. We carried out a high‐sensitivity HD‐TV observation of this activity at the Dodaira station, and detected 341 Giacobinid meteors, along with 127 sporadic meteors. The peak activity was around 13h05m UT with an peak influx rate of meteoroids of 1.6 × 10−5km−2s−1 (magnitude ≤ +7). The peak corresponded to solar longitude 195.071° (equinox J2000.0), which is different from the expected maximum of the Giacobinids at the solar longitude 195.4° (equinox J2000.0). The duration of the peak activity is shorter than that of the previous outburst in 1985. The apparent brightness ratio of the faint meteors during our observation is about 2.1, which is a rather small value compared to previous displays.


A cross sectional study was conducted on medical students enrolled in the Arabian Gulf University in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The objective was to describe medical students' risk-taking behaviors while driving and to provide recommendations for promoting safe driving behaviors among them. A self administered anonymous questionnaire was used, which included questions on demography and driving behaviors. Medical students demonstrated risk taking behaviors while driving, as 40.1% of them did not use their seatbelts, 49.6% speeded (>100km/hr), 54.7% talked on their mobile phones and 45.9% wrote/read text messages while driving. Female students had lower driving risk taking behaviors compared to males. Driving risk taking behaviors declined as students progressed in their medical years. Saudi and Kuwaiti students had more risk taking behaviors than other nationalities. Driving risk taking behaviors cluster among students according to gender, medical year and nationality. Urgent interventions are needed to promote safe driving behaviors among students.


A method for the determination ofα-lactalbumin in milk products by high performance liquid chromatography has been established.The chromatography conditions as follow: Alltima-C18 conlum(4.6 mm×200 mm,5 μm),UV detection wavelengs 215 nm.This method consisted of a linear gradient of the two mobile phases of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in water and 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid and 80% acetonitrile in water at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min,The conlum temperature was 25 ℃.The result showed that for α-lactalbumin the calibration curve was linear in the range of 50 μg/mL~1 000 μg/mL(r=0.990 9).The average recovery percent was 97.27,the RSD was 0.76%(n=5).The methods is suitable for contents analysis of α-lactalbumin in milk products.


Father Burtchaell has raised some important issues with respect to the "evil temper" which often infects methodological disagreement in the study of religion and has briefly suggested some of the structural grounds for it. The subject is importantand explosive-and would itself serve as the basis of a joint session of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Perhaps for too long we have discussed this issue in the corridors and the coffee breaks and not in the meeting hall. Those who were present in Sanders Theater at Harvard on 25 October 1969 were treated to a display of a good deal of "evil temper," not all of it in connection with my paper. I cannot say that anything said there was of much help in getting to the bottom of the difficulty nor do I think this is the moment for me to pursue the issue. Instead let me attempt to reply to the objections of Professors Klausner and Nelson. My first reaction is quite simply dismay. It is hard for me to understand how my remarks could be taken in ways obviously (to me) not intended. Perhaps part of the problem rests in the brevity of my paper. Fortunately it will soon appear in a collection of my essays, Beyond Belief: Essays on Religion in a PostTraditional World, which Harper and Row will publish this spring, so that the context of my recent thought will help to fill out its implications. Among other things, that collection should correct Professor Nelson's impression of the "tenuousness" of my "interest in the myriad historic embodiments of the religious life," since the book is mostly concerned with such embodiments studied from a historical and sociological point of view. The intellectual autobiography which introduces that volume should disabuse Professor Nelson of another of his notions. I hope it will there be clear to any reader how utterly alien to my position is any kind of totalism. But I must say here that the fact that both Professors Klausner and Nelson detect just below the surface of my paper the sound of the inquisitor's lash if not the click of the storm-trooper's boots is itself an indication of how far the study of religion has to go before we reach the calm heights of scientific neutrality. It seems, since I have failed to communicate, that the best use of my space here would be to attempt again to say what I do mean. But perhaps first I should catalogue briefly some of the things I do not mean that Professors Klausner and Nelson have attributed to me. Symbolic realism as I use the term does not mean "the rejection of the separation between subject and object" (Klausner) nor do I anywhere in my paper assert "that there is no ground whatever for a separation between subject and object" (Nelson). On the contrary my whole discussion is based on an acceptance of the subject/object schema. I object only to the attribution of reality solely to the world of objects while neglecting the reality of subjective existence or of those symbol systems, especially religious and artistic, which try to express the relationship between subjects and objects and the whole of which they are parts. While I do stress the role of subjective factors, a point to which so close a scholar of Weber and Freud as Professor Nelson can hardly object, I emphatically do not "conceive the religious to remain in the sphere of the intrapsychic." Perhaps I can return to these points when I try briefly below to restate my position. The point on which Professors Klausner and Nelson agree most heartily is that


Soft dropout, a generalization of standard "hard" dropout, is introduced to regularize the parameters in neural networks and prevent overfitting. We replace the "hard" dropout mask following a Bernoulli distribution with the "soft" mask following a beta distribution to drop the hidden nodes in different levels. The soft dropout method can introduce continuous mask coefficients in the interval of [0, 1], rather than only zero and one. Meanwhile, in order to implement the adaptive dropout rate via adaptive distribution parameters, we respectively utilize the half-Gaussian distributed and the half-Laplace distributed variables to approximate the beta distributed masks and apply a variation of variational Bayes optimization called stochastic gradient variational Bayes (SGVB) algorithm to optimize the distribution parameters. In the experiments, compared with the standard soft dropout with fixed dropout rate, the adaptive soft dropout method generally improves the performance. In addition, the proposed soft dropout and its adaptive versions achieve performance improvement compared with the referred methods on both image classification and regression tasks.


The kinetics of the reaction between formaldehyde and hexacyanoferrate(III) ion in alkaline medium has been investigated at four temperatures. The data show that the reaction is rapid initially, then follows a simple first order rate with respect to each of the hexacyanoferrate(III) ion, formaldehyde, and hydroxide ion. Calculations reveal that only 0.27% of the formaldehyde corresponds to the initial rapid reaction; the remaining 99.73% follows the kinetics described. The net rate of the oxidation of formaldehyde as measured by the consumption of hexacyanoferrate(III) ion, is given by


The purpose of the invention is to provide a load detector and an electronic unit using the same, which is capable of realizing good operability, miniaturization and good sensor sensitivity. A load detector and an electronic unit using load detectors include a load sensor having a projective pressure receiving part, a case in which the load sensor is placed with the pressure receiving part facing toward the upper surface of the case, and an elastic body placed on the same side as the upper surface of the load sensor, the elastic body configured to receive a load and press the load sensor in its height direction.