There is increasing recognition that the link between individual action and organizational processes and outcomes needs to be better understood (Devinney, 2013; Greve, 2013; Winter, 2013). Complexity science provides such a framework and thus offers the prospect for new methods that show promise in this direction (Allen et al., 2013). This Special Issue is an outgrowth of lively discussions on this topic during formal Organization and Management Theory Caucus sessions held at each of the last two Academy of Management meetings, the first in Boston in 2012 with a follow-up in Orlando in 2013. The articles selected highlight an emerging complexityinformed paradigm for organizational research that we are calling human interaction dynamics (HID).The HID approach uses a complex systems theoretical framework to study the nature of fine-grained human interactions and emergent coarse-grained properties as well as the resultant organizing forms that emerge from these dynamics (Hazy 8i Ashley, 2011). Treating agent interactions as the unit of analysis, HID explores the unique and heterogeneous detail within the micro-states that occur during interactions-including the rules that govern these interactions, how they are enacted, and how they change. This heterogeneity makes the human interaction very different from the types of interactions normally studied in the natural sciences.Like the natural sciences, however, coarse-grained structures and properties emerge from these interactions. These emergent forms, like firms, business strategies, or organizational capabilities, also interact across levels of analysis to entrain the same fine-grained interactions from which they are also emerging. The dynamics that provide influence across levels in both directions at the same time are nonlinear and not easily parsed. However, by defining macro-states of the complex system as recognizable "properties" at the coarse-grained level, i.e., coarse-grained properties (CGPs), less important details can sometimes be ignored, or at least set aside for analysis purposes. Using a probabilistic approach that takes into account the system's effective or statistical complexity (Gell-Mann, 2002; Prokopenko et al., 2009), coarse-grained properties and their probable outcomes, such as sales growth or the potential for an innovative product launch, can be modeled and forecasted. HID seeks to use complex systems models and techniques to shed additional light on the efficacy of this process without ignoring the underlying detail of individual choice and action.ACADEMIC STUDIES IN HUMAN INTERACTION DYNAMICSThe first academic paper by Schwandt and Szabla (this issue) brings sociology and social psychology into the complexity conversation to describe the mechanisms at work within HID. Schwandt and Szabla argue that Giddens's (1984) theory of structuration and Stones (2005) extrapolation ofthat theory together connect the mainstream social sciences of sociology and social psychology to complexity research and in particular to the study of human interaction dynamics (HID).Exploring this assertion, Schwandt and Szabla argue that Giddens's notion of duality of structure is congruent with the complexity idea of circular influence (Haken, 2006) between fine-grain interactions and coarse-grain properties (Gell-Mann, 2002) in complex adaptive systems (Holland, 1975). The authors go on to argue that the Giddens' constructs of signification, domination and legitimation reflect the institutional social pressure that shapes the possibility space that constrains individual action. This paper is a good example of the issues associated with defining and representing the structural complexity associated with organizing in general. The nonlinear nature of structural complexity becomes relevant as fine-grain interactions among autonomous agents and the integrative coarse-grain properties that emerge from their interactions becomes the objects of study in HID. …


For the cost reduction of the inverter system, a DC link shunt resistor can be used to obtain the phase current of the AC motor. However, the phase current cannot be obtained from the shunt resistor when the duration of the active vector is shorter than the minimum time to sample the DC link current accurately. Conventional methods to reconstruct the phase current have some problems such as the high THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), the acoustic noise and the inaccurate reconstruction of the phase current in the low modulation region. In this paper, the cause of the noise in the conventional method is analyzed. To solve the acoustic noise problem, current reconstruction method based on current estimation is proposed. Intermittent PWM shift method is also proposed to enhance the accuracy of the reconstructed current in the low modulation region. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified through the simulations and the experiments. The usefulness of the proposed method is also proven by measuring the sound in the anechoic room.


Dear Sir, In recent reviews of the nucleic acid test (NAT) screening of blood donors worldwide, no data were presented for South America (Zou et al., 2010; Bruhn et al., 2013). Another study reported NAT results from a relatively small South American sample (Roth et al., 2012) but not on a routinely implemented NAT screening of blood donors. However, Brazil has been NAT screening in this population for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) since 2010. A kit with multiplex HIV/HCV platform has been developed by Bio-Manguinhos® (Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with financial support of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and approved for use in December 2011. The number of blood banks with NAT screening routine has reached 14 in 2013, covering all major geographical regions of the country. The aim of this report is to provide the first results of the NAT yield over serological screening in Brazilian blood donors, as well as its variation across major geographical regions of the country. NAT screening of Brazilian blood donors was first piloted in 2010 with the participation of the blood banks from the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina. Systematic data collection started in May 2011 and expanded to 14 blood banks geographically distributed all over the country to facilitate the transportation of blood samples. For the purpose of this study, the period between May 2011 and July 2013 was analysed. The diagnostic kits NAT HIV/HCV was developed by Bio-Manguinhos® (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as a multiplex platform for simultaneous and discriminatory detection of HIV and HCV based on real time PCR. The NAT assays detect the viral nucleic acids in the period that precedes the systemic production of antibodies. The amplification reaction is based on RNA targets that require reverse transcription. The flow methodology consists of preparing a minipool of six samples for the RNA extraction step, followed by amplification and detection by PCR in real time. The internal control of the reaction is made of a virus-like particle, added to the minipool during pipetting into the secondary tube. The testing algorithm includes performing first minipool, consisting of 100 μL of six samples, pipetted into a secondary tube. After this step, 265 μL of minipool plasma are used for the extraction and purification of nucleic acids,


With the increase of dataset volumes, training machine learning (ML) models has become a major computational cost in most organizations. Given the iterative nature of model and parameter tuning, many analysts use a small sample of their entire data during their initial stage of analysis to make quick decisions on which direction to take (e.g., whether and what types of features to add, what type of model to pursue), and use the entire dataset only in later stages (i.e., when they have converged to speci c model). This sampling, however, is performed in an ad-hoc fashion. Most practitioners are not able to precisely capture the e ect of sampling on the quality of their model, and eventually on their decision making process during the tuning phase. Moreover, without systematic support for sampling operators, many optimizations and reuse opportunities are lost. In this paper, we introduce BlinkML, a system for fast training of ML models with quality guarantees. BlinkML allows users to make error-computation tradeo s: instead of training a model on their full data (i.e., full model), they can train on a smaller sample and thus obtain an approximate model. With BlinkML, however, they can explicitly control the quality of their approximate model by either (i) specifying an upper bound on how much the approximate model is allowed to deviate from the full model, or (ii) inquiring about the minimum sample size using which the trained model would meet a given accuracy requirement. Moreover, the error guarantees can be expressed in terms of the model's parameters or its nal (classi cation or regression) predictions. BlinkML currently supports any ML model that relies on maximum likelihood estimation—an important class of ML algorithms, which includes Generalized Linear Models (e.g., linear regression, logistic regression, max entropy classi er, Poisson regression) as well as PPCA (Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis). Our experiments show that BlinkML can speed up the training of large-scale ML tasks by 1.54×–322× while incurring only 1% accuracy loss compared to the full model trained on the entire data. PVLDB Reference Format: Yongjoo Park, Jingyi Qing, Xiaoyang Shen, Barzan Mozafari. BlinkML: Approximate Machine Learning with Probabilistic Guarantees. PVLDB, 12(xxx): xxxx-yyyy, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/TBD Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Articles from this volume were invited to present their results at The 45th International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, August 2019, Los Angeles, California. Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment, Vol. 12, No. xxx Copyright 2018 VLDB Endowment 2150-8097/18/10... $ 10.00. DOI: https://doi.org/TBD


Background: As pain and nausea is usually associated with endoscopy procedure, its management is important to alleviate patients' anxious in this regard. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of conversational hypnosis in reducing anxiety and endoscopy-related complications as well as its role in increasing the satisfaction of patients exposed to endoscopic procedures. Patients and Methods: The participants of upper GI endoscopy procedure were randomly assigned to an experiment group (with conversational hypnosis intervention, n = 93) and a control group (n = 47). The participants' hemodynamic indexes (HR, blood pressure, pulse oximetry), anxiety, satisfaction level, and complications resulted from the procedure were monitored and included in the self-administered questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that the participants in experiment group had a significant reduction of anxiety in the posttest. The adverse side effects such as vomiting, nausea, and hiccups in the experimental group was less than the control group, though this difference was not significant (P = 0.54). Conclusions: The results suggested that conversational hypnosis technique could reduce anxiety as well as the sedation process in invasive procedures such as endoscopy.


Institut fUrThcoretische Informatik (ITI) In this thesis I present a technique for facial feature localization in 2D gray level images featuring a large variety of illumination, background and face size based on Gaussian Mixture Model. The system estimates positions of eyes, nose and mouth corners simultaneously. In contrast to conventional systems, we use a multi-stream Gaussian mixture model (GMM) framework in order to represent structural and appearance information of facial features. We construct a GMM for the region of each facial feature, where the principal component analysis (peA) is used to extract each facial feature. Furthermore we build a GMM which represents the structural informationof a face like relative positionsof facial features. The combination of those two models is based on the multi-stream GMM framework and applied to search the regions of interest (ROI) in order to reduce computation time. This approach achieves the localization of facial features, being robust to scale and illumination variations. We will demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm through experiments on the public available BiolD Face Database' using the FGnet Markup Scheme'. I http://www.bioid.com/downloads/faccdb/ 2 http://www.bioid_com/downloads/facedb/down loadsibioid --'p1s.zi p Universitat Karlsruhe (TI J)


We start by considering the production rates of sphalerons with different size $\rho$ in the symmetric phase, $T>T_{EW}$. At small $\rho$, the distribution is cut off by the growing mass $M\sim 1/\rho$, and at large $\rho$ by the magnetic screening mass. In the broken phase, $T<T_{EW}$ the scale is set by the Higgs VEV $v(T)$. We introduce the concept of "Sphaleron freezeout" whereby the sphaleron production rate matches the Hubble Universe expansion rate. At freezeout the sphalerons are out of equilibrium. Sphaleron explosions
generate sound and even gravity waves, when nonzero Weinberg angle make them non-spherical.
We revisit CP violation during the sphaleron explosions. We assess its magnitude using the Standard Model CKM quark matrix,
first for nonzero and then zero Dirac eigenstates. We find that its magnitude is maximal at the sphaleron freezeout condition with $T\approx 130\, GeV$. We proceed to estimate the amount of CP violation needed to generate the observed magnitude of baryon asymmetry of Universe. The result is about an order of magnitude below our CKM-based estimates. We also relate the baryon asymmetry to the generation of $U(1)$ magnetic chirality, which is expected to be conserved and perhaps visible in polarized intergalactic magnetic fields.


If it had not been for a Swedish missionary, this paper might never had needed to be written. The tale goes back to the big drought of 1966-68, when starving rural people approached a missionary at Rorke's Drift for help. His name was Kjell Lofroth and he was to become famous as the 'grass priest'.


Background and Aims:  Although Helicobacter pylori eradication decreases the incidence of metachronous gastric cancer after endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC), metachronous cancer still develops after successful eradication, particularly in patients with severe corpus gastritis. We investigated whether the extent of atrophic fundic gastritis diagnosed by autofluorescence imaging (AFI) videoendoscopy is predictive of development of metachronous gastric cancer after H. pylori eradication in patients treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for EGC.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of financial aid policies on student persistence between the first and second year at a private four-year postsecondary institution in Taiwan. A two-phase sequential research design was employed with priority was given to the quantitative data–structural equation modeling (SEM). While the conceptual framework of this study was drawn from multiple research antecedents in relation to student persistence the major perspective guiding it was based on St. John's (1992) analysis of the research. Overall, the greatest effects on persistence were the measures of high school academic performance, followed by campus work, academic integration, social aspiration for attending college, financial aid, and parental supports, while neither parental educational attainments, faculty-student interactions, the practical value for future employment, nor peer relations were associated with students' decision to remain enrolled in college, results which merit further investigation. In sum, this study provides a necessary beginning step, more institutional research is needed in Taiwan to improve policy makers' and institutional researchers' understanding of the complex interplay between student financial aid and college experiences in students' decisions to persist in college as well as to develop a longitudinal database to identify ways to increase student success.


Performance metrics are used in various stages of the process aimed at solving a classification problem. Unfortunately, most of these metrics are in fact biased, meaning that they strictly depend on the class ratio –i.e., on the imbalance between negative and positive samples. After pointing to the source of bias for the most acknowledged metrics, novel unbiased metrics are defined, able to capture the concepts of discriminant and characteristic capability. The combined use of these metrics can give important information to researchers involved in machine learning or pattern recognition tasks, such as classifier performance assessment and feature selection.


This paper presents the application of multi-level fuzzy comprehensive judgment method in project supervision performance evaluation and gives an example to illustrate the basic steps of the algorithm.


Overall heat transfer coefficients (U values) of existing wall systems in Turkey have been measured. Comparative energy consumption analyses for each material have been performed according to ISO 9164 (International Organization for Standardization, 1989). As an application, the city of Gebze has been chosen, and annual energy consumptions for various materials are defined. Space heating consumption in Gebze is 1.5-3 times the consumption in other European countries and the United States. Fifty percent of the total possible savings would be obtained when only exterior wall systems are insulated, and 68% of the total consumption for space heating would be conserved by applying the available insulation techniques to the entire enclosure of all buildings in the country.


During the past ten years the clinical picture of acute laryngotracheo-brcnchitis has been vividly painted by several experienced and competent observers. The seriousness of the condition, the importance of the unmistakable signs of upper respiratory obstruction and the urgent n x d of immediate relief have been so well emphasized as to require no further repetition in the present study. Despite this fact i t is evident tha t the pediatrician and general practitioner still mistake the conditicn for diphtheria, spasmodic croup or some other milder form of laryngeal obstruction, with the result that these patients a t times arrive a t a hospital either as obstructive emergencies or in so toxic and exhausted a state as to render the hope of recovery a tragically forlorn one. A ccnsideration of the mortality rates reported by those men particularly interested in the condition and presumably thereby as likely as any to achieve success in its treatment is illuminating.


BACKGROUND
There has been few published reports of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions in Zaria.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the relative frequencies of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone and the anatomical sites of their occurrence.

METHODS
A retrospective review of histopathology reports of all bone specimens received in the Department of Histopathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Teaching Hospital Zaria between 1995 and 2004.

RESULTS
Of the 127 histologically diagnosed tumours and tumour-like lesions, 74 (58.3%) were males and 53 (41.7%) were females, giving a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Benign Tumours accounted for 38.6% of the tumours while the malignant tumours and the tumour-like lesions made up 39.4% and 22% respectively. Osteochondroma [20(15.7%)] and osteosarcoma [17 (13.4%)] were the most commonly encountered tumours while fibrous dysplasia [26(20.4%)] was the most common tumour-like lesion. The peak age incidence of occurrence of these tumours was in the 2(n) [47 (37.0%)] and 3rd [28(22.0%)] decades. The face was the most common site with 62 (48.8%) of occurrence followed by the femur accounting for 8 (6.3%).

CONCLUSION
Bone tumours, of which the most common benign and malignant tumours were osteochondroma and Osteosarcoma respectively appear to be mainly a problem of young adults in Zaria.


References Demir B , Guven S . 2007 . An incidental fi nding of unicornuate uterus with unilateral ovarian agenesis during cesarean delivery . Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 276 : 91 – 93 . Dueck A , Poenaru D , Jamieson MA et al . 2001 . Unilateral ovarian agenesis and fallopian tube maldescent . Pediatric Surgery International 17 : 228 – 229 . Eustace DL . 1992 . Congenital absence of fallopian tube and ovary . European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology 46 : 157 – 159 . Gambadauro P , Campo V . 2005 . Spontaneous pregnancy following multiple laparoscopic myomectomy in a sterile patient with unilateral ovarian agenesis . European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 118 : 270 – 271 . Georgy FM , Viechnicki MB . 1974 . Absence of an ovary and uterine tube . Obstetrics and Gynecology 44 : 441 – 442 . Mulayim B , Demirbasoglu S , Oral S . 2003 . Unicornuate uterus and unilateral ovarian agenesis associated with pelvic kidney . Surgical Endoscopy 17 : 161 . Mylonas I , Hansch S , Markmann S et al . 2003 . Unilateral ovarian agenesis: report of three cases and review of the literature . Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 268 : 57 – 60 . Rapisarda G , Pappalardo E . 2009 . Unilateral ovarian and fallopian tube agenesis . Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 280 : 849 – 850 . Sirisena LA . 1978 . Unexplained absence of an ovary and uterine tube . Postgraduate Medical Journal 54 : 423 – 424 . Sivanesaratnam V . 1986 . Unexplained unilateral absence of ovary and fallopian tube . European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology 22 : 103 – 105 .


The aim of this paper is to discuss the acceleration properties of the hybrid procedure for solving a system of linear equations. These properties are studied in a general case and in two particular cases which are illustrated by numerical examples. 1. The hybrid procedure. Let us consider the system of linear equations (1) Ax = b, where A ∈ R and x, b ∈ R. We denote by x the solution of (1). Let G = ZZ be a symmetric positive definite matrix. The G-inner product and the correspondingG-norm are respectively defined by (x, y)G = (x,Gy) and ‖x‖G = √ (x, x)G. The corresponding G-matrix norm is given by ‖A‖G = sup x6=0 ‖Ax‖G ‖x‖G = √ ((ZAZ−1)TZAZ−1). We shall also use the notation x ⊥G y if (x, y)G = 0. For simplicity, the subscript G will be suppressed when unnecessary. Let us now assume that two iterative methods for solving the system (1) are used simultaneously. Their iterates are denoted respectively by xn and x n and the corresponding residual vectors by r ′ n = b−Ax ′ n and r ′′ n = b−Ax ′′ n. The hybrid procedure defined in [1] consists of constructing a new iterate xn and a new residual rn = b−Axn by (2) xn = αnx ′ n + (1− αn)x ′′ n, rn = αnr ′ n + (1− αn)r ′′ n, 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 65F10, 65B05.


The topic of strengthening values is one of the research priorities of the Ministry of Interior, from ensuring the historical continuity of the Revolution,given the international scene, characterized by the establishment of neoliberal policies in a globalized world, of which young they become the center of attention for subversive interests and that threatens even the very existence of man. The objective of this work was to develop a system of actions, focused on the educational performance of young people, which allows them to use their ethical and moral potentials in strengthening their values during transit through the Provincial Instruction Center. The system of actions was sustained on a series of principles and in its structure it contains several interrelated elements to be assumed by the center to achieve the materialization of the values and the active-transforming intervention of its young people. Among the scientific methods used, the qualitative diagnosis based on the criteria of young people, professors, managers and the application of the observation par excellence and the complementary survey, demonstrated the wide possibilities offered by the system of actions in the development of values and their concretion in theperformance models of the subjects of our research. The system of actions constituted the practical contribution of the study. Its validity lies in thediagnosis and permanent implementation in young people, stating that the strengthening of values is a cornerstone of these times


A systematic Data Quality Checking Protocol for vessel Mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler observations is proposed. Previous-to-acquisition conditions are considered along with simultaneous ones.


Objective To investigate the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) in nurses and their mental health.Methods A sampling survey was conducted using questionnaires in nurses of departments of internal medicine,surgery and ICU of our hospital from June 2011 to October 2011.IBS was diagnosed according to the Rome Ⅲ criteria.Mental health of the nurses was assessed with the symptom self evaluation table SCL-90.Results Of the investigated 342 nurses,24 were diagnosed with IBS according to the Rome Ⅲ criteria with an incidence of 7.0%.The incidence of IBS was the highest in 20–30 years old nurses(7.9%).The scores of different factors on the SCL-90 were higher in nurses with IBS than in those without IBS.The incidence of somatization disturbance,interpersonal sensitivity,anxiety,phobia and delusion was higher in nurses with IBS than in those without IBS(P 0.05).Conclusion The incidence of IBS is high in nurses,especially in those aged 20-30 years.The mental heath of nurse with IBS is rather poor.


Objective:To investigate the protective effect of tanshinone IIA(TSⅡA) against interleukin-1β(IL-1β) induced energy dysmetabolism in rabbit annulus fibrosus(AF) cells.Methods:Rabbit AF cells were cultured in 3 dimensional alginate beads and randomly divided into 7 groups:no drug for group A as normal control,4μg/ml TSⅡA for group B,10ng/ml IL-1β for group C,both 10ng/ml IL-1β and different concentrations of TSⅡA for group D~G(0.5μg/ml,1μg/ml,2μg/ml or 4μg/ml,respectively).After 3 days,the cells were collected to measure the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase and Suceino Dehydrogenase(SDH).MTT assay were used to observe cell proliferation,and Annexin Ⅴ-PI staining was performed to detect cell apoptosis.Results:The activity of Na+-K+-ATPase of group G was increased significantly compared with group C(P0.01),and was close to that of group A(P0.05).SDH activity of group G was(12.48±0.97) U/mgprot,which was obviously higher than that of group C(3.03±0.60) U/mgprot(P0.01) and was close to that of group A(14.24±1.56) U/mgprot(P0.05).The absorbance of MTT assay of group G was significantly increased compared with group C(P0.01).The absorbance of group D~G increased as the concentrations of TSⅡA increased.The apoptotic cell rate and dead cell rate of group G was(21.08±1.46)% and(8.99±0.33)%,which were both higher than that of group C(43.11±2.7,P0.01 and 11.71±0.32,P0.01).Conclusion:TSⅡA is able to promote cell proliferation and decrease cell apoptosis of AF by alleviating IL-1β induced inhibition on cell energy metabolism.


This paper presents a study of laboratory evaluation on the performance of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) using Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) as filler material. POFA produced by burning palm fibre and shell which is generally used as boiler fuel to produce steam for electricity generation in the mill. POFA is one of the materials identified to have a potential of becoming an alternative filler material in SMA mixes. In this project, a small portion of POFA (passing 75µm) was used to modify asphalt mixtures. POFA was incorporated into asphalt mixes by using dry process method which refers to technologies that mix POFA with the aggregate prior to mixing it with asphalt binder. The aggregate gradations use in this study is gap graded (stone mastic asphalt with 14mm nominal maximum aggregate size-SMA14). The percentage of POFA added was varied from 0 to 7 % (2% hydrated lime) by weight of the total aggregate which is 0 to 100% by weight of the filler content. Samples was prepared and compacted using Marshall Method. Several performance indicators of mixes was evaluated using laboratory work were moisture induced damage/stripping resistant and Marshall volumetric properties. The performance results of modified asphalt mixes were compared to conventional asphalt mixes (unmodified samples). Based on the results, the performance of HMA mixes such as stability, flow and stiffness was significantly affected with the addition of POFA. The results suggest that 50% POFA by weight of filler content is the optimum value.


AbstractA case of a 68-year old man with intestinal bleeding caused by a small hemangiosarcoma in the jejunum is reported. Tissue specimens were examined by light microscopy with classical histochemical techniques and the immunogold-silver staining method in combination with silver acetate autometallography. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to various tissue type markers and lymphocyte associated antigens were employed. Factor VIII-related antigen was negative in the neoplastic cells but positive in most endothelial cells of veins and some capillaries of the adherent tissue. However, antibodies to vimentin, the endothelial marker BMA 120, and Ulex europeus I agglutinin (UEA I) lectins gave strongly positive reactions throughout the lesion and in endothelial cells of all vessels. T lymphocytes as well as neuronal and glial structures were detected between the proliferating cells. (The J Histotechnol 13:141, 1990)


At a time of increased financial volatility, understanding 'development' requires that we trace spheres of accountability in order to detect the consequences of shifts in power structures from the public to the private sectors, especially. By focusing on the business of sovereign credit ratings, I argue that ratings have been particularly influential in this context not only because of their function as a benchmark for private investment, but because they now also enter into the calculations of policy makers in developing countries who are increasingly compelled to implement policies that reduce their countries' sovereign risk at possibly high costs for sustained economic growth. I explain that governments' eagerness to signal their potential as reliable capital recipients allows for credit ratings to become a powerful site of governance. This outcome is not justified by the quality of rating agencies' output, but by the subjective power of the notion of risk in a crisis prone environment that shifts accountability—through this disproportional influence of credit rating agencies—from the public to the private realm. The Argentine crisis of 2001 is presented here as a case study that illustrates these dynamics.


It is important to meet the increasing demand of public service for China to construct harmony society.This paper analyses the present actuality of public service supply from the angle of public finance and put forward several suggestions.


A satisfactory empirical mathematical model has been obtained to relate the extraction of uranium from an aqueous solution that pulsates through vertically-spaced horizontal sieve-plates in a short vertical column to the sieve-plate spacing, pulse frequency, pulse height, flow rate of aqueous solution, plate diameter, and to the position of the inlet for the organic extractant. This was done by multivariable regression analysis of 34 statistically designed tests. The final model is complex but it indicates, in general, that higher extractions are related to the result of the interaction between the pulse frequency and pulse height, to closer platespacing, to lower aqueous flow rates, to larger-diameter sieve-plates, and to the distance between the inlet for the organic extractant and the axis of the column. It was also shown that assessment of optimum operating conditions for the column by traditional visual observations was not satisfactory for the tests described herein. * and ** Research Scientists, Ore Treatment Section, Extraction Metallurgy Division, Mines Branch, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Ottawa, Canada.


A device for labeling of copper-clad laminates comprises a laser (10) in the resonator (12) has a diaphragm (24) is located to the intensity control, expansion optics (26) for expanding the laser beam (18) and focusing optics (30) for focusing of the expanded laser beam (28) on the surface of a workpiece (32) from copper-clad laminate. In a corresponding method for marking copper-clad laminates, a laser beam (18) is expanded and the expanded laser beam (28) focused on the surface of a workpiece (32) from copper-clad laminate, wherein the laser intensity within the laser resonator (12) by a diaphragm (24 ) is controlled.


Zinc (Zn) deficiency, a widespread micronutrient disorder constraining rice production worldwide (Shorrocks 1992), is effectively controlled by field application of zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) (Takkar and Walker 1993). A more convenient and economical method of alleviating the deficiency, however, is desired. In greenhouse and field experiments, we studied the comparative effectiveness of various management practices in alleviating Zn deficiency in transplanted flooded rice grown in the alkaline soils of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The greenhouse study used surface soils (0-15 cm) of Miranpur (Aquic Ustochrepts) and Eminabad series (Typic Haplorthids) with pH 7.8-8.0, EC 1.0-2.1 dS m -1 , CaCO 3 equivalent 1.1-2.6%, organic matter 1.4-1.7%, and DTPA Zn 0.5-1.0 mg kg -1 . Pots containing 4.5-kg soil portions were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications (see table for treatments). Basal fertilization included 75 mg N soil -1 , 16.4 mg P soil -1 , and 23 mg K kg soil -1 . Dry matter yield, Zn concentration, and total Zn uptake were recorded after harvest (cv. IR6) of whole shoots at 50 d after transplanting (DAT).


Abstract This study demonstrates that bio-based products of lignin depolymerisation can potentially replace common antioxidants and UV absorbers in the plastics and cosmetics industries. The kraft lignin Indulin AT was used to obtain low-MW lignin and monomers & oligomers rich in phenolic hydroxyl groups. Both thermo-oxidative stability and antioxidant activity significantly improved upon lignin depolymerisation. The results from oxidation induction time differential scanning calorimetry (OIT-DSC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) measurements show that the lignin based depolymerisation products are comparable with commercial antioxidants like pentaerythritol-tetrakis-(3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate) (Irganox 1010). UV/vis spectroscopy was investigated to confirm absorption of the depolymerisation products in the UVA and UVB range (280–400 nm).


DISCLOSURES: No funding supported this commentary. The authors are employed by Humana, Inc. Shrank reports board of directors work for GetWell Network and NCQA. The other authors have nothing to disclose.


The brain exhibits an impressive degree of plasticity, even as it ages. Plasticity is really an intrinsic feature of the nervous system, not an exceptional or occasional state. Neuroplasticity comprises a family of different types of plasticity. Of these, synaptic plasticity is perhaps the best-understood variety, and it plays an important role in cortical map reorganization and memory consolidation. Cortical map plasticity is of direct relevance to any discussion of modularity. There are two types of cortical map plasticity: intramodal (within a modality) and crossmodal. Crossmodal plasticity is likely to arise from the underlying supramodal (or "metamodal") organization of the brain.


This paper mainly discussed four problems generally existing in the operators' performance evaluation of our country's state-owned enterprise. They were the unclear definition of operator,the single assessment subject,the short-term evaluation indicators and neglecting performance feedback.


Abstract Cornulites gotlandicus sp.n. is described from the Silurian (Ludlowian) Hemse Beds in Gotland. The new species differs from all other known species of the genus in having a longitudinal striation formed of rows of successive hollow spines.


(57) Abstract: hair dryer attachment (10) includes a comb (18) with heat transfer plate (16) upper body (12) for supporting a lower body for attachment to the outlet of the hair dryer (14 ) and contain. Comb extends from one side of the heat transfer plate. The heat transfer plate is heated by the hot air coming out from the outlet of the hair dryer. Upper body of the attachment, in order to direct the heated air around the heat transfer plate in the general direction, and a plurality of vents disposed around the heat transfer plate, the heated air next to the heat transfer plate and a pair of side vent for directing. Lower body of the attachment, the interior surface or distributed multiple internal ribs, or may comprise a plurality of flexible internal segment which is provided within its inner surface, either they are lower It contributes to attach the body to the outlet of the hair dryer. Thus, the present hair dryer attachment provides a simple means to use the hair dryer to straighten dry hair.


The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions towards integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning programs among in-service primary school teachers in Zambia. The study explored investigated 8 government primary schools in Lusaka province from which 10 teachers who participated in the study were drawn. The study was quantitative in nature owing to the fix interval questionnaires that were used. The results indicate that the majority of the teachers were optimistic about the use of ICTs in the teaching and learning setting. The results indicate that there was a strong, positive correlation between attitude and belief towards using ICTs in the teaching and learning process (r = .89, n= 10,p< .01), thus, there was evidence that teachers who had positive attitudes also had strong beliefs about the use of ICTs in the teaching and learning process. There was also strong agreement on the importance of "the use of ICTs in the teaching-learning process" and that "studying with ICTs makes teaching-learning process more enjoyable". The teachers also confirmed the need to "participate in in-service training seminars about the use of ICTs " as the strategy most strongly agreed upon. The results suggest that the teachers' positive attitude towards ICTs integration in the teaching and learning process requires not only institutional and financial support, but also provision of access to computers, technical support and in-service teacher technology training.


Statement of Purpose: Physical hydrogels that are capable of reversible gel formation in response to clinically-relevant stimuli have significant potential as drug delivery systems (DDS). In particular, polymers that are soluble at 37 ̊C and pH 7.4 but form gels under conditions of intermediate acidity (pH 6.0-7.0) at 37°C may be able to target regions of local acidosis, as found in ischemia. With drug delivery and tissue healing, these hydrogels can subsequently dissolve as the tissue returns to physiologic pH, facilitating elimination from the body. Polymers containing N-isopropylacrylamide and propylacrylic acid have been shown to be sharply responsive to changes in pH and temperature. In this study, we evaluated the ability of a novel pHand temperature-responsive injectable hydrogel system, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-propylacrylic acid-cobutyl acrylate) (p[NIPAAm-co-PAA-co-BA]), to deliver basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), promote angiogenesis and improve cardiac function in a rat model of myocardial infarct.


ABSTRACT Bentonite was modified with trialkylaluminum to prepare polypropylene/clay nanocomposites. Treated clay, commercial polypropylene, and a coupling agent were mixed in miniextruder. To obtain the masterbatches and dilutions, two polypropylene grades were used to analyze the influence of molar mass on clay dispersion. The screw rotation varied from 30 to 200 rpm, and the clay content was 1, 2, and 5 wt%. For samples prepared with higher molar mass, increasing speed from 30 to 200 rpm improved the clay dispersion. For processing with lower molar mass, decreasing speed from 60 to 30 rpm caused an increase in viscosity, resulting in better dispersion. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Aim: The study evaluated the efficiency of various finishing and polishing systems and the effect of finishing and polishing time by using various procedures on surface roughness and hardness of silorane based (FiltekP90) and methacrylate based (Z100) restorative materials.
Method: The surface roughness and surface hardness were measured using a profilometer and Vickers hardness tester respectively. Ten specimens of each composite resin were randomly subjected to one of the following finishing/polishing techniques: A - Diamond burs with soflex discs; B - Diamond burs with Astropol polishing brush; C – Tungsten Carbide burs with soflex discs; D - Tungsten Carbide burs with Astropol polishing brush. To assess the effect of time period, specimens were finished and polished immediately and another delayed by a week. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test at a significant level of p<0.05.Results: Filtek P90 showed least Ra values with lower surface hardness than Z100. Delayed finishing/ polishing of materials was better than immediate polishing in both the tested materials. Among all the polishing system for silorane based composites (Filtek P90), Diamond bur- Astropol and Astrobursh combinations to be used. Whereas in methacrylate based composites (Z100) Tungsten carbide bur - Soflex disc used showed good surface finish.
Conclusion: Clinical significance of surface roughness and hardness is related to: i. Aesthetic appearance of restoration (discoloration and wear) ii. Biological consequences regarding periodontal health (gingivitis) iii.Development of secondary caries due to increased plaque accumulation. This study would be helpful to make some considerations about clinical indication and longevity of restorative materials studied.


Paper which aims to observe the manifest behavior of authors who publish in the Boletin de la Sociedad Argentina de Botanica - edited by the homonymous society, and is dedicated to all branches of plant biology. It studies the numbers 40 to 46, published from 2005 to 2011. Interprets, the forms of the items studied, by preparing tables and statistical interpretations. Concludes that the authors have a collaboration index of 2.68 per work, use English as their first language of consultation, that the primary source of consultation is the periodical, and belong primarily to the university environment.


Vetiver ( Vetiveriz zizanioides ) is a newly introduced giant grass for erosion control.The introduction of germplasm and study of vetiver were initiated since 1997.There are 15 wild seedy vetiver germplasm and 22 cultivated vetiver clones been introduced into Taiwan up to year 2001.The field study showed that the seedy vetiver can grow and produce seed without limitation in Taiwan,the amount of the seed is enormous and in good quality.Thus,the application of seedy vetiver must be prohibited in the perspective of its weedy potential.According the field study throughout the island,the cultivated vetiver can adapt well under the altitude of 1000 m,while over 2000 m the vetiver will grow well only with the good sunlight and proper planting date.The region between 1000 and 2000 m can grow vetiver well unless the severely shaded condition is encountered then the growth might be retarded.In the coastal area where the winter erosion prevalent,vetiver can adapt and show good growth.In the mudstone area,where post the greatest challenge to plant,vetiver can thrive as well.


This article explores to what extent the ad hoc tribunals have made use of the national law of the state where the crimes have allegedly been committed in their quest for elements of crimes, concepts of criminal responsibility, grounds for excluding criminal responsibility and guidelines for sentencing. At first sight, one would expect the legislation of the territorial state to feature only as an indication of 'general principles of law' or 'international customary law'. However, the investigation of case law reveals that the law of the territorial state holds a far more prominent place. In search for rationales, the author suggests that, initially, national legislation has been used to plug the legal gaps in international criminal law. However, more recently the ad hoc tribunals have canvassed the national legislation of the territorial state, in order to find out whether this state would qualify to take over criminal proceedings against mid-level perpetrators. The author suggests that the International Criminal Court might follow suit, in order to give shape to its policy of 'positive complementarity'.


The aim of this work was the obtaining coarse aggregate from red mud (RM) focused on the processing properties. RM and two clays (A and B) were selected from Pará state (Brazil) and characterized by XRD, XRF and HSM. Six compositions were planned by mixture design. RM amount varied from 80 to 100wt%. Compositions were pelletized in a pelletizer disc, resulting test pieces of 4 to 19 mm (diameter). Firing temperatures ranged from 1150 to 1190 oC and holding time from 15 to 90 min. Pelletizing humidity, dry friability, water absorption, and apparent density were determined. Clays A and B presented clay mineral content about 67 and 12 wt%, quartz 25 and 82wt%, respectively. The higher clay mineral contents the smaller dry friability and water absorption. Appropriated clay mineral contents and firing parameters is needed in order to satisfy processing and final properties requirements, being possible to obtain aggregates from pelletizing process.


Dose-response curves of acetylcholine were obtained by means of intraarterial injections of this substance into the blood supply of the nictitating membrane of the spinal cat. The mode of action of acetylcholine was analyzed by determining changes in the dose-response curve after the administration of various substances known to reduce or abolish time response of the nictitating membrane to nerve stimulation, tyramine or norepinephrine. Intravenous injections of 2,6-xylyl choline ether bromide (TM 10) or pretreatment of the animals with maximally tolerated doses of reserpine failed to alter the response to acetylcholine, whereas the intravenous injection of 10 mg/kg phenoxybenzamine slightly reduced it. It is therefore higlmly unlikely that acetylcholine acts through the release of endogenous norepinephrine. Cocaine increases the response of the nictitating membrane to small amounts of acetylcholine but not that to large amounts. Cocaine fails to increase the response to acetylchohine after pretreatment with maximally tolerated doses of reserpine. These observations do not support the hypothesis that cocaine causes supersensitivity of the nictitating membrane to acetyleholine. They are consistent with the view that this "potentiation" is an additive synergism of endogenous norepinephrine with injected acetylcholine. Chronic postganglionic denervation, on the other hand, produces supersensitivity to acetylcholine.


The most fundamental or most importa nt functions of the ca pital market are the fairness and efficiency embodi ed in the guidance of ration al allocati on and movement of resources.In order to guarantee the fairness and effic iency of the capital market,we must maintain the order which the market should have.T he guarantee of the fair competition relays on the system,and th e efficiency will further be activated by the fair order.The government should support the newborn forces of the market through continual systematical innovati on and technical innovation in the course of development and opening for the pur pose of increasing greatly the efficiency and fairness of the capital market.


A distributed temperature sensor based on Raman scattering in optical fibres has been tested for use as a coolant loop monitor in nuclear power plants. The system has been evaluated in both gamma and neutron fields to determine system lifetime. The combined effects of temperature and radiation on the fibre sensor are demonstrated and explained. The first operational test in the experimental fast reactor Joyo is outlined.


Technology may help people in taking everyday decisions exploiting the power of predictive models. Different models applied on the same dataset may have the same performance but produce different outcomes. Making correct predictions is difficult and "predictive modelers often only explore relatively few models" [2]. The identification of the most accurate model is also challenging [3, 4]. This research aims supporting the analyst to explore, compare models and select the best one for a given dataset, through the use of visualizations. The approach is taking into account Keim's Visual Analytics Mantra: "Analyze first, show the important, zoom, filter and analyze further, details on demand" [1].


This project was conducted to assist in predicting the effects of freeze-thaw cycling on stabilized hazardous waste material during the 1996-97 freezing season. The Raymark Superfund site in Stratford, Connecticut, is under remediation with the intent of using the area for commercial development. The site was classified as a Superfund site in 1995. The on-site soil contains asbestos, lead, PCBs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs, and solvents. These contaminants are by-products of the manufacturing process for heat-resistant automotive parts. The stabilized waste material is being used as the subgrade material in the pavement structure. Field testing was conducted to determine the unconfined compressive strength of the stabilized material before and after the freezing season. Testing was completed using the Clegg impact soil tester and dynamic cone penetrometer. Additionally, thermocouples were installed to estimate the depth of frost penetration that could be expected, and to ensure that the overlying layers in the pavement structure would be adequate to prevent frost penetration into the stabilized layer.


Since the inception of this journal the task of Reviews Editor has been undertaken by my colleague, Howard Leathlean. To obtain the right books for review, and to have them reviewed by experts is difficult enough. To marshal the reviewers to provide an appropriate number of reviews on a due date with close attention to detail is a real achievement. As the Reviews Editorship passes to other hands in another university, the editor's thanks go to Howard for having brought us thus far.


The invention concerns a removable grip device (1) for container, comprising two members forming a gripper (3, 4) mounted on a gripper body (2) one of which is mobile in translation along a longitudinal direction between an open position and a closed position, displacement means (6) adapted to move the mobile member (4). The invention is characterized in that the device comprises locking means (26) adapted to prevent the mobile member (4) from being spaced apart in closed position.


Having invested in a new milking parlour in 2004, this Overberg farmer has been renting cows for more than 10 years. It has enabled him to intensify his production and make his investment more lucrative. However, he is now in the process of buying some of these cows.


AIM:To study the effect of nicotine on BMP secretion of mouse molar dental germs and dental papilla cells in in vitro .METHODS:Add different concentration nicotine into the culture liquid and medium.First mandibular germs from 15 d old mouse embryos were seperated and cultured on semisolid medium which contains 5 g/L agar dextrose RPMI-1640 for 4 d.Dental papilla cells were cultured in different culture liquid for 3 d.Then they were made in routine histologic and climbing slice, stained with immunohistochemistry method.RESUTLS:In control group the positive expression of BMP was stronger than that of experimental group( P 0.01, P 0.05).CONCLUSION:Nicotine inhibited the BMP secretion of mouse dental germ and dental papilla mesenchyme cells in vitro .


IPB year entered a golden age of 50 years. The opening of IPB's 150th Anniversary was conducted on 01/03/2013. This is an important event of gratitute for the devotion made by IPB, said Committee Chairman of IPB's Anniversary, Dr.Ir. Meika Syahbana Rusli. IPB Rector in his speech thanked all parties, especially for the achieved awards. Rector also appreciates the predecessors who have given contributionn to the nation such as BIMAS, UPGK program, BAPPEDA concept, a 4-year degree program of Education, Student Admission System through academic achievement report, etc.


The strength reliability of a solid rocket motor shell is analyzed. The maximum entropy test method, which is based on information theory, improves the test entropy of a single test sample by reducing the load capacity of the engine shell design under the condition of keeping the load of the engine housing unchanged, so that the total sample size that is required for the test is greatly reduced. The results show that test method of maximum entropy can solve the problem of shell strength reliability assessment when the engine sample size is small. This method can also be applied to small sample reliability assessment in other fields.


The invention belongs to the technical field of transporters, and in particular relates to a single-rail upland orchard transporter. The transporter mainly comprises a diesel engine, a driving device, a clutch device, a driving assembly, a braking device, a main stander, clamping wheels, a single rail with teeth, a trailer and the like, and is characterized in that an upper square bar and a lowersquare bar form the single rail, the upper surface of the upper square bar is provided with involute teeth, and a derailment-preventing and side-falling preventing device is arranged between the stander and the rail; a single-rail technique is adopted so that the transporter not only adapts to the requirement on the transportation with complex and variable landforms, but also adapts to the requirement on the transpiration of driving in dense fruit trees; and the transporter can climb up a hillside with a slope grade of not more than 40 degrees with a load of 350 kilograms, can get downhill smoothly when the load is 1,000 kilograms, and can turn for 90 degrees when the turning radius is less than 4 meters. The single-rail upland orchard transporter can be applied to the transportation of fruits, pesticides, fertilizers and the like in an upland orchard.


The paper described the effects of fillings,coupling agents and different vulcanization system on the bonding capability of polysulfide sealant.The principia of the effects and the relation of different surface status and the effects were analysed.The study provide the technical accumulation for developing of polysulfide sealant and increasinging the bonding capability of polysulfide sealant.


[Objective] To explore the relationship between L-selectin and diabetic macrovascular complications.[Methods] In serum of 125 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(60 subjects with macrovascular complications and 65 subjects without macrovascular complications) and 55 normal controls,the activity of CD62L,FPG,hsC-RP and HbA1C was detected by ELISA method.[Results] The activity of serum CD62L was significantly increased in diabetic macroangiopathic group compared with no macroangiopathic group and control group.Serum CD62L was positively correlated with hsC-RP,Fib,TG,TC,and LDL-C.SBP,hsC-RP and CD62L were independently and significantly associated with diabetic macrovascular diseases.[Conclusion] Determination of CD62L is very important for prevention and diagnosis of diabetic macrovascular diseases in early stage.


THIS THESIS EXAMINES the available data on true property tax rates in the United States from 1922 to 1949 in order to test the belief that localities have been taxing property more heavily. One must examine true rates-the ratio of the property tax to the market value of the taxed property-in order to avoid the effects of variations in assessment ratios. Two principal sources of statistics on true property tax rates are available. The Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the United States Department of Agriculture has made estimates for farm real estate since 1909. The Bureau of Governmental Research, a private agency located in Detroit, has compiled such information for property in urban areas since 1922. In addition, data on total property tax revenue in the United States, new private construction, and real estate prices provide a rough method of checking the trends estimated by these bureaus. The statistical data are interesting because they discredit the commonly accepted belief about the degree to which localities have been using their property tax resources. Property tax rates, when expressed as a percentage of the true value of property, were not higher in 1949 than in the 1920's. The rapid rise in true rates from 1929 to 1933 was followed by a decline during and after World War II. The drop in true rates during the 1940's indicates that localities were using their property tax resources less intensively. Two important historical developments that help to explain the trend are (1) the continuous shift by local governments to other sources of revenue such as grants-in-aid from 1932 to 1949 and (2) the constant level of total money expenditures of local governments from 1932 to 1945. During the 1940's rising prices brought financial difficulties to many local governments. The inadequacy of revenue relative to expenditures has largely resulted from the failure of localities to raise assessments. Actually, during a period of rising prices, property taxation is an expansible source of revenue. But local government officials must be able and willing to reassess property at higher levels or to raise official property tax rates.


Sticky Brownian
motion
is
a one-dimensional
diffusion
with the
property that
the
amount of
time the process spends at zero
is
of positive
Lebesgue
measure
and yet
the
process
does
not stay at zero
for
any positive interval
of time. Sticky
Brownian
motion can
be
considered as qualitatively
between
standard
Brownian
motion and
Brownian
motion absorbed at zero.
A
system of coalescing
Brownian
motions
is
a collection of paths, where
each path
behaves as a
Brownian
motion
independent
of all other paths until
the
first
time two paths meet, at which point the two
paths that have just
met
behave is
a single
Brownian
motion
independent
of all remaining paths.
Thus the
difference between
any two paths of a system of coalescing
Brownian
motion
behaves
as a
Brownian
motion absorbed at zero.
In
this thesis
we
consider systems of
Brownian
paths, where the difference between
any two
paths
behaves as a sticky
Brownian
motion rather than a coalescing Brownian
motion.
We
consider systems of sticky
Brownian
motions starting
from
points
in
continuous
time and space.
The
evolution of systems of this type
may
be
described by
means of a stochastic
flow
of
kernels. A
stochastic
flow
of
kernels is
characterised
by its N-point
motions which
form
a consistent
family
of
Brownian
motions.
We
characterise such a consistent
family
such that the difference
between
any pair of coordinates
behaves as a sticky
Brownian
motion.
The Brownian
web
is
a way of
describing
a system of coalescing Brownian
motions starting
in
any point
in
space and time. We describe
a coupling of
Brownian
webs such
that the difference between one path
in
each web
behaves
as a sticky
Brownian motion.
Then by
conditioning one
Brownian
web on the
other we can construct a stochastic
flow
of
kernels.
Finally
we
discuss the
concept of
duality in
relation to flows
and we prove
some minor results relating
to these
dualities.


Pro-choice organizations claim that by 2014, over half of the twenty health centers providing abortions in Virginia will be forced to discontinue services as a result of a regulation categorizing these facilities as hospitals. Proponents of the regulation claim its purpose is to increase patient safety; however, higher-risk medical procedures, such as cosmetic and dental surgeries, are not subject to similar regulatory scrutiny. This investigation seeks to understand general conditions under which the categorization of abortion providers as hospitals impacts operational costs, as well as bars entry of new providers into the market. Using Virginia as a case study, it also specifically explores how local politics impacts the implementation of health planning, policies, and regulations.


This paper proposes a fuzzy logic-based battery energy management system in hybrid renewable system. The novel topology consists of solar and wind energy system-based input sources and a battery bank to store the energy when in excess. The PV-Wind source is equipped with unidirectional boost converter whereas, the battery storage system is connected to the system with a bi-directional DC/DC converter. The main novelty of this research is the fuzzy logic-based battery management system which charges and discharges into the DC bus system based on the supply-load demand. The fuzzy logic controller (FLC) based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is used in the PV and wind energy conversion system (WECS) to track the maximum available power for the different irradiance and wind velocity respectively. The obtained results are compared to conventional P&O MPPT control algorithm to find the effectiveness of the system. A 500 W PV system and a 500 W Permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) based WECS is implemented for its simplicity and high efficiency. The proposed control topology is designed and tested using MATLAB/Simulink


The SUS establishes universality, equity and comprehensiveness as its principles, through Law 8080 of 1990, in view of the principle of comprehensiveness, which is based on understanding the patient as a whole, a human being with biopsychosocial aspects and with difficulties inherent to their reality (BASTOS et al., 2011; BRASIL, 1990).


The anti-stimulation function was studied on the antler soft capsule in the paper.It was observed for the antler soft capsule affecting the anti-stimulation function by the mouse swimming test,the endurance of lower temperature?resutance of common pressure deoxygen one. It showed that the antler soft capsule took on the remark anti-stimulation function in the different dosages,on which mice had a significance for the anti-fatigue,resistance of lower pressure,endurance of common pressure deoxygen ability,fed with the 9mg/kg dose.


Effects of prior rapid thermal processing (RTP) under different atmospheres on the motion of dislocations initiated from indentations in Czochralski (CZ) silicon have been investigated. It is found that the maximum gliding distances of dislocations in the specimens with the prior RTP under nitrogen (N2) atmosphere are much smaller than those in the specimens with the prior RTP under argon (Ar) atmosphere. This is also the case when the specimens received annealing for oxygen precipitation (OP) subsequent to the RTP at 1250 °C under N2 and Ar atmospheres, respectively. It is believed that the nitrogen atoms introduced during the RTP under nitrogen atmosphere or the oxygen precipitates facilitated by the RTP-introduced nitrogen atoms can exhibit pinning effect on the dislocation motion, which increases the critical resolved shear stress for dislocation glide.


AMNH FARB 291 is a unique sauropod dinosaur specimen, excavated in 1898 from the Bone Cabin Quarry of Wyoming (Upper Jurassic; Morrison Formation). It consists of a sequence of five contiguous dorsal vertebrae, all with biconvex centra: a morphology not previously observed in any sauropod, and which is very rare even in other amniotes.

The specimen was initially catalogued as Brontosaurus, one of only half a dozen sauropods then known. But it lacks diplodocid features such as bifid neural spines, short centra and dual centroprezygapophyseal laminae. Instead, it resembles Brachiosaurus in its elongated centra, forward-shifted neural arches and lobe-like transverse processes. Centrum lengths (from anteriormost to posteriormost) are 207, 205, 232, 222 and 207 mm, about 60% those of the Brachiosaurus holotype. This specimen could represent:

1. normal development: the condyle would have ossified separately but the individual died before this could happen;

2. a developmental anomaly;

3. a Brachiosaurus with a rare variation not previously seen due to paucity of specimens;

4. a bizarre taphonomic event;

5. a unique taxon in which this is a normal, inherited trait.

Vertebrae typically ossify as rings of bone around the notochord, which sometimes persists as a tunnel through the centrum. There is a developmental continuum from biconcave centra with a persistent notochordal tube (as in most fishes), through biconcave centra with the notochord persisting as intervertebral cartilage balls, to the normal amniote condition. However, all known baby sauropod presacrals have already ossified opisthocoelous or amphiplatyan centra, so the present specimen remains mysterious.


The lack of multi-biometric fusion guidelines at the feature-level are addressed in this work. A feature-fusion framework is geared toward improving human identification accuracy for both single and multiple biometrics. The foundation of the framework is the improvement over a state-of-the-art uni-modal biometric verification system, which is extended into a multi-modal identification system. A novel multi-biometric system is thus designed based on the framework, which serves as fusion guidelines for multi-biometric applications that fuse at the feature-level. This framework was applied to the face and fingerprint to achieve a 91.11% recognition accuracy when using only a single training sample. Furthermore, an accuracy of 99.69% was achieved when using five training samples.


A prospective analysis was performed in 17 consecutive liver allograft recipients in whom cytologic analysis of Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy and histologic examination of conventional liver biopsie were performed in parallel


The traditional design process of building shells leads even today to substantially static systems. Building shell properties, like insulation value, thermal mass and window area, are kept constant throughout the year for the majority of buildings. As a result, buildings do not perform optimally and large energy consuming HVAC installations are used to compensate for the poor performance of the building itself. The assumption of the FACET project (Dutch acronym for: 'Adaptive facade technology for increased comfort and lower energy use in the future') is that buildings with climate adaptive thermal and daylight properties will have a much better energy performance while maintaining a high comfort standard. The development of climate adaptive buildings shells (CABS), based on theoretically 'ideal' adaptive properties, enables maximizing indoor comfort and minimizing energy use for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. This enables the realisation of nearly zero energy, or even energy producing buildings in the near future.


Shopping sites, such as Amazon, encourage consumers to create online reviews for products through product reviews. Such review systems enhance the value of Amazon and eBay as shopping destinations. However, Amazon takes it one step further by allowing other consumers to rate the reviews, creating reputation systems for reviewers. Those reviewers with the highest ratings are given greater prominence. They are featured first in the listings, they are given an honorary title, membership in an honorary group, and sometimes they are even provided with products in advance of the product's release. These reviewers work long hours, without pay, to provide a valuable service to their fellow consumers. For instance, the top 1000 reviewers each write hundreds of reviews. What exactly motivates this extraordinary effort? How does the reputation system of helpfulness votes affect the case for Amazon's reviewers?


The characteristics of e-beams held emitted from nanotips, which are atom-sources of electrons, were analysed experimentally for non-magnetic and ferromagnetic nanotips. Their specific characteristics are fully exploited in a versatile low-energy electron projection microscope: the Fresnel projection microscope. Observations of nanometric fibres of carbon and of organic materials were performed with working voltages around 200 V. The images show, in the direct space, details of the objects of less than 1 nm without any magnetic shielding.


In his Poetics,Aristotle first mentioned the concept of "finding".This paper,from the tragedy of ancient Greece,makes an analysis of the ethics significance of Aristotle's "findings" and his thinking of happiness.


In 1847, Chevers' presented the first report of a case involving the absence of the pulmonary valve, a ventricular septal defect, and a right ventricular outflow obstruction. Another report was presented by Kurtz in 1927.2 Since that time, however, approximately eighty cases have been reported. Initially, the diagnosis was made only at operation or autopsy, but in 1962, Miller et al.3 first recognized and described the clinical features. Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve leaflets may occur as an isolated lesion4 5 or, more commonly, in association with tetralogy of Fallot.


It is well known that solitonlike pulse shaping generates pulses that are both shorter and more stable [1]. However, for modelocking of solid state lasers it has been always assumed that a window of net gain as short as the pulse itself has to be created that supports only the pulse and suppresses the growth of instabilities. We showed by soliton perturbation theory that in a passively modelocked femtosecond solid-state laser with solitonlike pulse shaping the modelocking process can be stabilized by a broadband slow saturable absorber only [2]. This opens the possibility to generate sub-10 fs pulses with semiconductor absorbers. We reach with the technique of soliton modelocking stabilized by a broadband saturable absorber a regime which was previously only possible with Kerr-Lens Modelocking but our approach is in addition self-starting.


Various aspects are related to the method and system for generating extremely wide field of view image.In some embodiments, the image capture system for capturing wide visual field image includes aperture;It is located to receive the central camera of light via the aperture, the central camera has optical axis;Multiple peripheral cameras are placed in the central camera side and are directed toward a part of the optical axis of the central camera, and the multiple camera is arranged around the central camera;And multiple extensible reflectors.The reflector is configured to be moved to the second position from first position and has the mirror-polishing first surface of the optical axis backwards to the central camera and the second black surface of the optical axis towards the central camera, and the multiple peripheral camera is arranged around the central camera.


Abstract Dynamic relations among supply chain members have forced some changes in those members' business philosophy. One such change involves Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which posits an alternative attitude for companies towards business, the natural environment and society. The supply chain structure provides an excellent framework to disseminate the CSR idea among other members. That process is affected by different factors, including the level of internationalization of a given business. The purpose of this paper is to specify relations between the international nature of operations and CSR approach in 150 Polish companies. To better understand these relations a literature review and statistical analysis are conducted. Methods used in the quantitative analysis are a frequency analysis (with usage of One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov and One-Sample Chi-Square tests) and a correlation analysis (Spearman ratio). This research addresses a gap concerning international aspects of supply chain operations and its CSR sensitivity. The results can be used to support supply chain decision makers when applying CSR in their companies as well as can be an outgoing source of data for further, more detailed research.


The selection of a mining machine is a multiple-attribute problem that involves the consideration of numerous parameters of various origins. A common task in the mining industry is to select the best machine among several alternatives, which are frequently described both with numerical variables as well as linguistic variables. Numerical variables are mostly related to the technical characteristics of the machines, which are available in detail in most cases. On the other hand, some equally important parameters such as price, reliability, support for service and spare parts, operating cost, etc., are not available at the required level for various reasons; hence, these can be considered uncertain information. For this reason, such information is described with linguistic variables. This paper presents research related to overcoming this problem by using grey theory for selecting a proper mining machine. Grey theory is a well-known method used for multiple-attribute selection problems that involves a system in which parts of the necessary information are known and parts are unknown.


We compare the working student' support-networks versus students' support-networks at La Cienega de Chapala of Michoacan (Mexico). Support-network is relevant factor for labor expectative construction. The applicability of social network analysis and regional culture information make possible a first interpretation for sector, gender, and locality. The very size of Sahuayo working students' network not necessary to enrich their social relationships. There is differences of size working student' support-networks of women and men. This result is consistent with the importance of women for the family transnational communication and with the major women access to labour market on the last decades. It's important the absence of moral leaders.


Abnormalities of the fetal cardiovascular system caused by fetal growth restriction (FGR) may lead to adverse outcomes. The fetal cardiac function assessment is of great significance for treatment selection and prognostic evaluation of fetuses with FGR.


The near-space network has become of research focus with rapid developing of space network.With characteristic of high exposure,dynamic establishing net,finity capability of calculate,near-space network demand higher real time,security.This thesis put forward a security-handoff of near-space network,introduce the definition and meaning of security-handoff,and analyse the difference compare of tradition handoff,security handoff,and handoff-security.This thesis also design the selection arithmetic of MPHR and trust transfer mechanism,that realize handoff of security channel and continuity of security communication,and that can ensure security and advance efficiency of handoff.


Several criteria suitable for taking a decision regarding the centrosymmetry of crystals by the study of the goodness-of-fit of the observed and expected cumulative, semi-cumulative and distribution functions of normalized structure amplitudes are suggested. Practical aspects of the various tests are discussed. From a study of the performance of these tests on four crystals a safe method of conducting these tests is suggested.


This paper evaluates the benefits of data obtained via modern information technologies, such as global positioning systems, when solving a vehicle routing problem with dynamic customer requests and dynamic travel times. It is empirically demonstrated that substantial improvements are achieved over a previously reported model which does not assume the availability of such information. We also analyze how the system handles dynamic perturbations to the travel times that lead to earliness or lateness in the planned schedule.


Experimental evidence for interstitial {FeH} pairs in $n$-type Si stems from thermally stimulated capacitance (TSCAP). Electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data have also been interpreted in terms of {FeH} pairs. We present theoretical studies of two {FeH} pairs. The properties of the first match those of the TSCAP center but are incompatible with the EPR center. The second is a possible candidate for the EPR center. If true, this suggests that high-temperature anneals can introduce substitutional Fe in concentrations higher than commonly believed.


The erythrocyte ghost fusion method was used to introduce i25I-labeled diphtheria toxin, its fragments A and B, and two labeled crossreacting material (CRM), mutant proteins CRM176 and CRM197, into cultured mouse cells. Fragment A was relatively stable in mouse cytoplasm at 37'C and at least 80% was recovered from cells after 24 hr of incubation. In contrast, wild-' type fragment B and A fragments from CRM176 and CRM197 were unstable and were degraded with half-lives of about 2.5 hr under similar conditions. When a rabbit anti-fragment A IgG frac- tion was introduced with wild-type A, the rate of degradation of A was accelerated, whereas the rates of degradation of A176 and A197 were retarded by the same antibody. In every instance the' degradation rate appeared to be that of the IgG fraction itself with. a half-life of about 7.5 hr.


This study aimed tofind out to what extent the use of communicative approach in the teaching of english as a foreign language by teachers of senior high schools in Bengkalis. This study was done to see the phenomenon of lack of communication skill in English at the number of senior high school graduation. It might be caused of inappropriate approach applied at senior high school. This study found that most teachers strongly agreed that their role is as a facilitator. Furthermore, most teachers indicated that their class is more student centered than teacher- centered, the teacher is just as a facilitator in the classroom. This study could be used as empirical data for further research and as a review for the stockholders in making decision. Finally, this study could contribute to improve the senior high school graduation ability in English.


The current analysis of rapid load tests (RLT) such as Statnamic is normally based upon empirical correlations with static pile tests in similar soils. In certain soil types, such as clays the number of case studies used to develop analysis and allow selection of appropriate rate effect correction are limited. Due to these limitations selection of correction factors does not distinguish between pile type or pile installation technique. In clay soils it is well known that driven piles may have significantly enhanced capacity over cast insitu piles of similar cross-section. To test the effect of pile installation technique on RLT analysis RLT testing and static testing were undertaken on precast driven concrete piles and cast insitu CFA piles installed in high plasticity London Clay. Results show that the installation technique does not appear to affect the magnitude of the rate effects, provided modifications are made to the analysis to account for the previously reported differences in static capacity between different installation techniques. Based upon the findings it is suggested that RLT analysis should distinguish between pile type and installation techniques and for existing analysis techniques further case study based rate correction parameter are required, especially in clay soils.


The corrosivity of several drinking waters, with and without addition of sodium silicate and sodium polyphosphate as inhibitor, in contact with copper, is studied in the range 20-650°C. The corrosion rate in the course of time was followed by means of the polarization resistance method. Linearity between potential and intensity of current is observed in the range − 30 to + 40 mV in relation with corrosion potential, E o . Polarization curves were also drawn with the aim to obtain the Tafel slopes. E o values are more active when inhibitor is present. With temperature increases corrosion rate.Inhibitor addition to the drinking water tested means a reduction of copper corrosion of about 50%


ABSTRACT This qualitative single case study examines the lived experience of empowerment of a combat veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who engages in volunteer, peer-led disaster response activities with Team Rubicon (TR), a nongovernmental organization. Team Rubicon members utilize unique skill sets of both military veterans and civilian first responders to rapidly deploy response teams to domestic and global emergencies. Minimal research to date disseminates experiences of empowerment among combat veterans. The single case study methodological approach offers a rich descriptive and contextual analysis for exploring implications for mental health stigma reduction in combat veterans through an empowerment lens. The study serves to: provide a preliminary foundation for continued theory building of empowerment in combat veterans through peer-led disaster relief settings, expand research, and offer practical implications for social workers in stigma reduction efforts.


Thank you for downloading understanding the outboard motor. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look hundreds times for their favorite novels like this understanding the outboard motor, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they cope with some malicious bugs inside their desktop computer. understanding the outboard motor is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection spans in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the understanding the outboard motor is universally compatible with any devices to read.


Abstract In this paper we obtain a Hermite-Hadamard type inequality for a class of subharmonic functions. Our proofs rely essentially on the properties of elliptic partial differential equations of second order. Our study extends some recent results from [1], [2] and [6].


This article reviews ebookers, a major European online travel website (URL: www.ebookers.com). Like other Internet columns that have been written for the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, this article analyzes the functions and services that are available on the site. In addition, this article critically evaluates the usability and functionality of ebookers. This article will benefit international travelers, especially the European travelers, from better planning for their trips.


In agricultural landscapes, the survival and reproduction of pollinators depends on the size of semi⁃natural habitats. The intensive agricultural production model has caused a decrease in semi⁃natural habitats and an increase in the proportion of land dedicated to agriculture. This study aimed to quantify any changes in the diversity of pollinators following this increase in the proportion of land dedicated to agriculture. Our study area was in Gongyi City, which is a typical agricultural region located near the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Twenty⁃one study sites were collected from the northeast to the central area. Pan traps were used to capture pollinators from farmland and woodland habitats. Using the Akaike Information Criterion ( AIC), we calculated the optional characteristics scales of the pollinators and landscape


where Apqxpq is non-random matrix, Ipqxpq is identity matrix, HjTM are some random symmetric matrices of the size q X q, ρ and q are some integer. The normalized spectral function ^n(#) for sinqular values l/k of non-symmetric random matrix Η with asymptotically independent entries also are considered. It is proved that for almost all X and any € > 0 under conditions which are similar to the conditions of the central limit theorems limn^ooP (|l/n(a?) Gn(x)\ > e} = 0, where i/n(x) = n~ ̂ =1 χ(ζ/η < x) and Gn(x) is distribution function whose Stieltjes transform is equal to


This paper is an attempt of proposing the processing approach of Intuitionistic fuzzy technique in image processing. As Intuitionistic fuzzy sets is a suitable tool to cope with imperfectly defined images, the properties, basic operations, entropy measures, histogram representation, similarity measure, distance measure of the Intuitionistic fuzzy techniques and Intuitionistic fuzzy inference method are presented here.


Abstract We study Bose-Einstein condensation of comparatively small numbers of atoms trapped by a three-dimensional harmonic oscillator potential. Under the assumption that grand canonical statistics applies, we derive analytical expressions for the condensation temperature, the ground state occupation, and the specific heat capacity. For a gas of TV atoms the condensation temperature is proportional to N1/3, apart from a downward shift of order N-1/3. A signature of the condensation is a pronounced peak of the heat capacity. For not too small N the heat capacity is nearly discontinuous at the onset of condensation; the magnitude of the jump is about 6.6 N k. Our continuum approximations are derived with the help of the proper density of states which allows us to calculate finite-AT-corrections, and checked against numerical computations.


Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films synthesized by the pulsed laser deposition process produce a large electron field emission capacity at low applied field, showing great potential for applications as electron emitters. The substrate temperature used for preparing the diamond-like carbon (DLC) films by the pulsed laser deposition process pronouncedly modifies the sp3-bonds content and the morphology of the DLC films. A large portion of sp3-bonds results in a high emission current density (Je), whereas spherical cluster geometry results in low turn-on field (E0). By contrast, gold precoatings reduce the resistance for the electron to transport from the substrate to the DLC clusters without modifying the nature of the DLC clusters. The incorporation of boron into the DLC clusters further improves their electron field emission properties due to appearance of the impurity levels. Moreover, the post-annealing and the plasma (Ar, N2 or O2) post-treatment processes alter the morphology and the proportion of sp3-bonds for the DLC films, resulting in a marked improvement in their electron field emission behavior.


The invention discloses a biomass solid waste and hazardous waste combustion gas production system. The air is sent into a combustion furnace through different positions in three times to facilitate staged combustion of combustion gas to further enable the combustion gas to achieve full combustion in the combustion furnace, so that the emission of nitrogen oxide is reduced effectively, and the carbon conversion of materials is increased. Furthermore, a gas cyclone and an air cyclone are used, the gas cyclone is composed of a gas chamber and a plurality of branches tangentially and uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction of the combustion chamber from the outside of a primary combustion chamber to the inside, and the branches are circumferentially and uniformly distributed from a main gas inlet and is characterized in that the diameters of the branches gradually decrease from the main gas inlet to the position away from the main gas inlet to ensure the consistent intake rate. The turbulent flow combustion stabilization is performed on the gas in the combustion furnace to form a recirculation zone for heat storage and maintaining the temperature of stable combustion.


The present hypothesis of depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer by some chlorofluorocarbons (CFC),a kind of working mediums commonly used in refrigeration and air-conditioning has prompted a lot of research and development of newstratospherically safe fluids. In some particular cases of unitary working medium,R134a,the most commonly used and hopeful refrigerant,has been considered to be subitituted for R12. A complete set of equations for thermo-physical properties will be required for the equipment design and R134a. manufacturing. In this paper, the experimental studies both at home and abroad on R134a have been synthesized to deduce a set of equations for calculating the thermophysical properties.


Despite the current recession in many parts of the OECD, fiscal consolidation is likely in many OECD economies in the 1990s. The author asks: is fiscal consolidation in the OECD in a period of low growth a recipe for global stagnation? In particular, what effects are likely in developing countries? The author starts with an overview of cuts in the U.S. fiscal deficit proposed by the Clinton administration and the extent to which European governments must cut fiscal deficits between now and 1997 to satisfy deficit targets in the Maastricht Treaty. How changes in fiscal policy are transmitted within an economy and between that economy and the rest of the world depends on whether those changes lead to permanent or temporary changes in government saving; whether they are implemented through government spending or taxes; and whether the taxes fall on households or firms. The main channels of transmission are through changes in: agents' expectations about future taxes, interest rates, exchange rates, and economic activity. The author uses the MSG2 multicountry models to quantify the ramifications of those changes. He concludes, among other things, that fiscal contraction in the OECD will probably lead to slower growth over the next several years. But the current and likely paths of fiscal policy are such that deficit reduction programs may have stimulating effect in the short run, as long as future fiscal contraction is credible. And fiscal deficit reduction will probably increase long-run output in the OECD through its effects on savings and investment. Finally, growth in the developing countries (at least total growth) may not be impaired at all by fiscal consolidation in the OECD. The negative effects of fiscal contraction will occur through lower net exports of non-OECD economies. For developing countries with open capital markets, the initial reduction in demand through lower exports can be offset by the reduction in interest rates following an inflow of capital from the countries with contracting fiscal policy. A significant decline in real global interest rates is likely to increase growth in developing countries that are debt-constrained, either directly (through private capital inflows) or indirectly (by relaxing the balance of payments constraint, allowing more resources to be channeled to domestic investment needs).


Gut microbiota plays important roles in host metabolism. Whether and how much the gut microbiota in different gut locations contributes to the variations of host serum metabolites are largely unknown, because it is difficult to obtain microbial samples from different gut locations on a large population scale. Here, we quantified the gut microbial compositions using 16S rRNA gene sequencing for 1070 samples collected from the ileum, cecum and faeces of 544 F6 pigs from a mosaic pig population. Untargeted metabolome measurements determined serum metabolome profiles. We found 1671, 12,985 and 103,250 significant correlations between circulating serum metabolites and bacterial ASVs in the ileum, cecum, and faeces samples. We detected nine serum metabolites showing significant correlations with gut bacteria in more than one gut location. However, most metabolite‐microbiota pairwise associations were gut location‐specific. Targeted metabolome analysis revealed that CDCA, taurine, L‐leucine and N‐acetyl‐L‐alanine can be used as biomarkers to predict porcine fatness. Enriched taxa in fat pigs, for example Prevotella and Lawsonia intracellularis were positively associated with L‐leucine, while enriched taxa in lean pigs, such as Clostridium butyricum, were negatively associated with L‐leucine and CDCA, but positively associated with taurine and N‐acetyl‐L‐alanine. These results suggested that the contributions of gut microbiota in each gut location to the variations of serum metabolites showed spatial heterogeneity.


Part I Topics.- Part II Regional integration: Trade and investment relations between the EU and East Asia - The next frontier?.- Part III International economic institutions.- Part IV Book reviews.- Part V Publications on international economic law 2013-2014.


We have prepared siloxane polymers grafted with trifluoromethane-sulfonylamide and oligoether side chains for solid polymer electrolytes with enhanced ionic conductivity. The grafted trifluoromethane sulfonylamide groups seem to be effective as an anion recepting site to enhance the ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte. The anion receptor grafted siloxane polymers showed one order of magnitude higher ionic conductivity than the siloxane polymers without anion receptor grafts. The fitting parameter A of the VTF plot which was related to the carrier density of the electrolyte increased with increasing the number of grafted anion receptor. The results of experiment indicate that the anion-complexing site of the anion receptor grafted polymer host effectively traps the anions. The anion receptor grafted polymer was found to be a promising material for lithium polymer batteries.


With this piece of research, Ashiagbor publishes the first monograph on the European Employment Strategy (EES). She provides a critical analysis of several tensions within the EES by uncovering the economic theories which underpin the EES's governance approach. The book identifies a conflict between intergovernmentalism and supranationalism as well as between labour market regulation and deregulation as the most important tensions within the EES. By analysing EES documents, Ashiagbor demonstrates that this strategy is based on the neo-classical economic credo that political intervention minimizes the efficiency of labour markets. Therefore she arrives at three main conclusions. In her view, the softlaw-based EES has replaced a social law discourse; labour market flexibility and deregulation dominate the EES agenda; the EES is subordinated to the goals of the European Monetary Union and economic policy coordination; and the EES's soft-law character is too weak to guarantee social equality and rights. The conclusion therefore proposes to build social rights into the EES and to establish 'soft harmonization' by means of 'hard law' in order to create a counterbalance to the EES's deregulatory agenda. This is based on the argument that contrary to the neo-classical assumption, equity must not be neglected as a goal of economic policy. The entire analysis is founded on a very detailed and balanced interpretation of EU documents. It therefore also provides the most thorough analysis of the historical development of the EES so far published. In this sense the book addresses experts with prior knowledge and interest in the EES rather than students and scholars who are searching for a more general introduction to the field. Ashiagbor criticizes the EES not only for its deregulatory agenda but also for its centralizing character, assuming that this strategy exerts a strong pressure on member states to comply with its objectives. This perspective rather neglects the observation that the EES actually functions according to a complex 'two-level game' in which member state governments seek to influence the EES in such a way that they can subsequently use the EES objectives as an additional source of legitimacy for national policy change. In addition, although the book's proposal to integrate social rights into the EES follows plausibly from its analysis of the EES's deregulatory agenda, it does not consider the political and institutional basis of social policy making in the EU. Such an analysis would reveal that there are currently no political majorities among EU member state governments for adopting social rights which could balance the EU's market-making agenda. This lack of consensus was precisely one of the reasons for the creation of the EES, which tries to create a middle way of governance by combining intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. That said, this book very well fulfils its own objectives and provides a plausible and very thoroughly thought through account of the conflicting economic policy and governance discourses surrounding the EES.


Background: The impact of heart rate (HR) on blood pressure (BP) and the influence of blood pressure on heart rate are mediated by distinct mechanisms. Methods which allow the assessment of bidirectional interactions between HR and BP might be especially useful in patients with cardiovascular diseases [1]. Our previous results suggested that Transfer Entropy (TE) method is able to mirror various cardiovascular reactions during head-up tilt in patients with the history of syncope and healthy volunteers [2]. Therefore, we implemented methods based on the information transfer concept also in hypertensive individuals. Our pilot study showed that in patients with hypertension bidirectional HR – BP interaction was decreased compared to healthy volunteers. However, there was a strong relation between age and TE values.


This paper describes the Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program established by the Federal Highway Administration. The program was developed to provide transportation professionals with more information regarding Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) planning, design, development, deployment, integration, operations management, and evaluation. The Program is comprised of a series of seminars, training courses, and workshops. The paper first gives an overview of the Program, discussing its audience and the courses that are offered. It then describes a brief case study of one of the training courses provided within the Program.