»I CHOSE A SLAV OVER AN ITALIAN«: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SLOVENIAN MIGRATION TO THE TERRITORIES OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV STATE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES The following contribution analyses the history of emigration from the Slovenian ethnic space to the countries of the former Yugoslavia and its contemporary consequences. The main thesis builds on the understanding that the Slovenian emigrant community in the "Yugoslav state" was largely neglected from the viewpoint of operative politics as well as from the scientific study perspective. The analysis is divided into four historical periods, which differed significantly as far as the migration dynamics is concerned: the first migration stage (1850–1914), dominated by economic reasons; the second migration stage (1919–1941), when the political and cultural reasons also became important; the third migration stage (1945–1991), when the main reasons for migration were economic and ideological; and, finally, the article is concluded with the analysis of policy towards the Slovenian immigrants to the Yugoslav territory in the time of the independent Slovenia, together with all of its advantages and shortcomings.


We study the parallel computation of dynamic programming We consider four important dynamic programming problems which have wide application and that have been studied extensively in sequential computation the D problem the gap problem the parenthesis problem and the RNA problem The parenthesis problem has fast parallel algorithms almost no work has been done for parallelizing the other three We present a unifying framework for the parallel computation of dynamic programming We use two well known methods the closure method and the matrix product method as general paradigms for developing parallel algorithms Combined with various techniques they lead to a number of new results Our main results are optimal sublinear time algorithms for the D parenthesis and RNA problems Correspondence Kunsoo Park Department of Computing King s College London Strand London WC R LS United Kingdom Tel Email k park oak cc kcl ac uk


Part I: Small Businesses and Innovation: Analyses and Policies.- Part II: The Financing of Small - and Medium - Sized Firms.


Acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common disorder with an annual incidence rate of 1-2 cases per 1000 persons. Health-related quality of life in patients after having DVT is impaired if not treated correctly. The VEINES - QOL (Sym) is a disease-specific instrument used to assess health-related quality of life in patients with chronic venous disease of the legs. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 32 patients diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and treated at Vietnam National Heart Institute and Hanoi Medical University hospital. Our study indicated statistical differences in patients' quality of life (QOL) before and one month after treatment. Mean difference for VEINES-QOL was 1.4 (p-value = 0.02), for VEINES-Sym was 1.6 (p-value = 0.01). Our study brought conclusions: anticoagulation therapy increased QOL in patients with DVT; and the principal factors influencing long-term QOL were oldage, BMI, recurrent DVT, and proximal DVT.


This article explores the properties (amplitude and shape) of the angular power spectrum of the anisotropies of the astrophysical gravitational wave background (AGWB) focusing on the signatures of the astrophysical models describing sub-galactic physics. It demonstrates that while some parameters have negligible impact others, and in particular the stellar evolution models, the metallicity and the merger time delay distribution can result in relative differences of order 40% in the angular power spectrum of anisotropies in both the LIGO/Virgo and LISA frequency bands. It is also shown that the monopole and the anisotropic components of the AGWB are complementary and sensitive to different astrophysical parameters. It follows that AGWB anisotropies are a new observable with the potential to provide new astrophysical information that can not be accessed otherwise.


5α‐reductase 1 (5αR1) and 5α‐reductase 2 (5αR2) convert testosterone into the more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT). We hypothesized that finasteride (5αR2 inhibitor) treatment pre (1–2 weeks before) or post (3 weeks after) tumor implantation would not significantly alter tumor growth because of the presence of 5αR1, while dutasteride (5αR1 & 2 dual inhibitor) treatment would decrease tumor growth regardless of when treatment began. Sixty 8‐week old male nude mice were randomized into Control, Pre & Post‐Finasteride, Pre & Post‐Dutasteride diet groups (all diets contained 83.3 mg drug/kg diet). Tumors were implanted by subcutaneous injection of 1 × 105 WPE1‐NA22 human prostate cancer cells in Matrigel. All treatment groups had significantly decreased prostate and seminal vesicle weights versus the control. Dutasteride intake also significantly reduced seminal vesicle weights compared to finasteride intake. There were no significant differences in final tumor areas and tumor weights between groups, likely due to poor tumor growth. In follow‐up studies, proliferation of WPE1‐NA22 cells, and its parent line RWPE‐1 prostate epithelial cells were not altered by treatment with testosterone, DHT, or mibolerone suggesting that they may not be androgen‐sensitive. Thus, the lack of androgen‐responsiveness of WPE‐1‐NA22 may explain the inadequate tumor growth observed. (NIH Grant P20‐RR017686)


Two experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that the amount of attention drawn to an attribute by an advertisement mediates the effect of advertising on attribute importance. The first experiment manipulated the amount of attention given to an attribute in an advertisement and found this to have an impact on the importance of the attribute. The second experiment manipulated the concreteness of an advertisement's copy mentioning the attribute, the relevance of the ad's picture, and the number of repetitions of the ad, and found that attention mediated the impact of textual concreteness on attribute importance, but that picture relevance and repetition were not related to attention or importance.


We present a direct measurement of the parity violation parameter A{sub b}, derived from the left-right forward-backward asymmetry of b quarks tagged via muons from semileptonic decays. The value of A{sub b} is extracted using a maximum likelihood fit to the differential cross section for fermion production. The novelty of this measurement consists in the use of topological vertexing information alongside the more traditional decay kinematics to discriminate among the different sources of tagged leptons. The small and stable SLC beam spot and the CCD based vertex detector are used to reconstruct secondary decay vertices and to provide precise kinematic information and a highly efficient and pure B mass tag. A multivariate approach has been used, with a total of 4 tagging variables, whose correlation with each other has been taken into account. The final result has been cross-checked both with a classical cut-and-count method and combining all the information into a neural net. Based on the full SLD dataset of 550K Z{sup 0} events with highly polarized electron beams, this measurement represents an improvement of a factor of 2 with respect to the previously published result (1993-1995 only and with no vertexing information). The statistical sensitivity achieved is aroundmore » 4% for A{sub b}, making this a world-class single measurement. An estimate of A{sub c} has been simultaneously derived from a common fit, with a precision of about 10%.« less


Birth defects are the leading cause of infant deaths in the U.S., and maternal diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to be a risk factor for birth defects, presumably secondary to hyperglycemia. To further examine the association between DM and birth defects, investigators conducted a case-control study among 13,030 mothers of infants with congenital anomalies and 4895 mothers of infants without birth defects.

The prevalence of pregestational DM (types 1 and 2) …


Background: Femoral column fracture is a rare case fracture in children. This is usually caused by high-energy trauma, such as falling from a height, or, in some cases, can also occur due to pathological fractures or repetitive trauma, such as running or jumping. Femoral column fractures can occure several complications, such as avascular necrosis (AVN), coxa vara, malunion, and osteonecrosis. Therefore, appropriate treatment is needed to reduce the risk of complications that may occur. Case Presentation: A 15 year old boy came to the emergency room with complaints of pain in base of his right thigh after falling while jumping over a tennis net with focus on his right leg. On examination, vital signs were normal, pain in the right groin had limited range of motion (ROM), and no other injuries or pain were found in his parts of the body. Then treatment was carried out using the closed reduction method and the installation of a spica cast without internal fixation. Conclusion: Although there is still a lot of controversy regarding the best time and method for administering therapy, determining the Delbet classification is very helpful as a consideration in choosing treatment and patient prognosis. In this case, treatment was given using close reduction and spica cast techniques with the consideration that anatomical reduction could be achieved.


Let G be an n-dimensional crystallographic group (n-space group). If G is a Z-reducible, then the flat n-orbifold E^n/G has a nontrivial fibered orbifold structure. We prove that this structure can be described by a generalized Calabi construction, that is, E^n/G is represented as the quotient of the Cartesian product of two flat orbifolds under the diagonal action of a structure group of isometries. We determine the structure group and prove that it is finite if and only if the fibered orbifold structure has an orthogonally dual fibered orbifold structure.
A geometric fibration of E^n/G corresponds to a space group extension 1 -> N -> G -> G/N -> 1. We give a criterion for the splitting of a space group extension in terms of the structure group action that is strong enough to detect the splitting of all the space group extensions corresponding to the standard Seifert fibrations of a compact, connected, flat 3-orbifold.
If G is an arbitrary n-space group, we prove that the group Isom(E^n/G) of isometries of E^n/G is a compact Lie group whose component of the identity is a torus of dimension equal to the first Betti number of G. This implies that Isom(E^n/G) is finite if and only if G/[G,G] is finite.
We describe how to classify all the geometric fibrations of compact, connected, flat n-orbifolds, over a 1-orbifold, up to affine equivalence. We apply our classification theory to the scientifically important case n = 3, and classify all the geometric fibrations of compact, connected, flat 3-orbifolds, over a 1-orbifold, up to affine equivalence.


Endometriosis is a common gynecological entity that usually occurs in the pelvic organs. Umbilical endometriosis is a rare condition that accounts for 0.5-1% of all extragenital endometriosis. It usually arises secondary to prior surgery but may arise de novo as well. We report a case of this condition with the spontaneous occurrence, which was diagnosed preoperatively as umbilical granuloma. Umbilical endometriosis should be kept in differential diagnoses in women with umbilical lesions.


Aim: The COVID-19 virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, spread all over the world and turned into a major epidemic. As in all countries, many precautions have been taken by health authorities in Turkey to reduce the spread of the epidemic. This study aims to evaluate the taken precautions from the perspective of health personnel. Subjects and Method: The population of the descriptive study was composed of public health personnel working in Konya. The sample size was calculated as 387 by random sampling method with known universe. The highest number of participants that can be reached via online questionnaire without quota distinction was targeted. The form used to collect the data was prepared by the authors with the literature review after the expert opinions were taken. The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 22.0. Result: In the study, which was provided by the participation of 1070 public health personnel, the data were collected by online survey method. 37.2% of the participants in the study are nurses, 34.1% are physicians, 14.1% are midwives and 14.6% are members of other health professions. The health personnel think that the use of masks control the infection at 96.8% rate, hand hygiene at 96.5%, social distance rules at 97.7%, curfews at 95.8% and the use of gloves at 67.9%, and these precautions reduce the course of the epidemic.
Conclusion: The majority of the healthcare personnel find the precautions sufficient. The deactivation of precautions without adequate epidemic control is very important in terms of effective epidemic management and reducing the burden on healthcare personnel.


Background: Historically, the identification of minimal deleted regions (MDRs) has been a useful approach for pinpointing genes involved in the pathogenesis of human malignancies and constitutional disorders. Microarray technology has offered increased capability for newly identifying or refining existing MDRs and minimal overlapping regions (MORs) in cancer. Despite this, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), published MORs that pinpoint only a few candidate genes have been limited and with the advent of NGS, the utility of high resolution array work as a discovery tool has become uncertain. Here, we show that profiling copy number abnormalities (CNAs) and cnLOH using arrays in a large patient series can still be a valuable approach for the identification of genes that are disrupted or mutated in CLL and have a role in CLL development and/or progression.

Methods: 250 CLL patient DNAs from individuals enrolled in two UK-based Phase II randomised controlled trials (AdMIRe and ARCTIC trials) were tested using Infinium HumanOmni2.5-8 v1.1 according to manufacturer's guidelines (Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA). Data were processed using GenomeStudioV2009.2 (Illumina Inc.) and analysed using Nexus Discovery Edition v6.1 (BioDiscovery, Hawthorne, CA). All Nexus plots were inspected visually to verify calls made, identify uncalled events and exclude likely false positives. To exclude common germline CNVs, the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV), a comprehensive catalog of structural variation in control data, was used. Copy number (CN) changes that encompassed fully changes noted in the DGV were excluded from further analysis. Regions of copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (cnLOH) were recorded if >1Mb in size, but were not used to define or refine MORs. Data from 1275 age-appropriate control samples minimised the reporting of common cnLOH events. All genomic coordinates were noted with reference to the GRCh37, hg19 assembly. MORs were investigated using Microsoft Excel filtering functions. A subset of genes (n=91) selected from MORs mainly on the basis of event frequency and/or number of genes within the MOR and/or literature interest were taken forward for targeted sequencing (exons only) of appropriate samples with/without CN Losses or cnLOH (Set 1 n=124; Set 2 n=126). These were tested using custom designed TruSeq Custom Amplicon panels (Illumina Inc) and processed according to manufacturer's instructions. SAMHD1 was excluded from these panels since it had been studied separately within our laboratory. The data were analysed using an in-house bioinformatics pipeline that uses the sequence aligners MSR and Stampy and the variant callers GATK and Platypus, followed by stringent filtering.

Results: Using our datasets we have identified >50 MORs previously unreported in the literature. Six of these showed copy number (CN) losses in >3% of patients studied. Furthermore, we have refined 14 MORs that overlapped with regions described previously and that had also a CN loss frequency of >3%. Thirteen MORs involved only a single reference gene, often a gene implicated previously in cancer (eg. SAMHD1, MTSS1, DCC and RFC1 ). Of the 91 genes taken forward for targeted sequencing, stringent data filtering led to a subset of 19 genes of interest harbouring exonic mutations. Genes with mutations identified include DCC, BAP1 and FBXW7 , also implicated previously in cancer.

Conclusion: We have generated high resolution CNA and cnLOH profiles for 250 first-line chemo-immunotherapy treated CLL patients and used this information to document newly identified MORs, to refine MORs reported previously and to identify mutation harbouring genes using targeted NGS. Functional knowledge supports our hypothesis that these genes may have a contributory role in CLL. For two genes, SAMHD1 and FBXW7 , relevance in CLL has been established already. Taken together, our data validate the utility of high resolution arrays studies for the identification of candidate genes that may be involved in CLL development or progression when disrupted. Further studies are required to confirm a role for these genes in CLL and to elucidate the nature of the underlying biological mechanisms.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Background: It has been observed that regular practice of yogic postures (asana) and breathing exercises (pranayama) improves the airway dynamics of healthy persons. This can be helpful for reducing exercise-induced bronchial lability, and thus yoga and pranayama could be used as an effective management strategy for asthma. Objectives: The objective was to study the effect of 12 weeks of regular yogic practices on pulmonary functions and exercise-induced bronchial lability in asthmatic and healthy children.

Objectives: The objective was to study the effect of 12 weeks of regular yogic practices on pulmonary functions and exercise-induced bronchial lability in asthmatic and healthy children.

Materials and Methods: Thirty asthmatic children attending pediatrics outpatient department were enrolled as cases (Group I) and thirty apparently healthy children who were having no any family history of asthma were enrolled as controls (Group II). Both the groups were further divided into four subgroups namely Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb (Groups Ia and IIa – not practicing yoga and Groups Ib and IIb – practicing yoga). The yoga groups (Ib and IIb) performed yoga regularly for 45 min daily for 12 weeks under the guidance of a yoga expert. Spirometry (lung volume and capacities as well as flow rates) along with exercise-induced bronchial lability testing was done at baseline and at 12 weeks in all participants. The responses to exercise were quantitated as the percentage rise and fall in the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) during and after exercise and Exercise Lability Index (ELI).

Results: Group Ib (asthmatics, practicing yoga) had significant increases in vital capacity (VC), forced VC (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%), and PEFR and a decrease in percentage fall in PEFR and ELI at 12 weeks. Group IIb (healthy, practicing yoga) had highly significant increases in VC, FVC, and FEV1 and a significant increase in PEFR and a decrease in ELI at 12 weeks.

Conclusions: By improving pulmonary functions and reducing exercise-induced bronchial lability, yoga helps asthmatics as well as healthy children to cope better with vigorous physical activities.


The strategies of English and Chinese relative clauses(RC) processing are studied through self-paced reaction time experiment. Two factors including the position of the head in the main clause and the role of the head in the relative clause are connected with the difficulty of RC. The result of the experiment shows that the processing strategies are different, but the working memory is an important factor influencing the processing of English and Chinese RCs.


Objective To illustrate the application of the standard method in urine iodine detection to the monitoring for IDD.Methods To detect the urine samples by using the standard method.Results This standard method is sensitive and accurate.The detection results correspond to the program of iodine supplement in the area where the samples have been collected from. Conclusions This standard method applies to the detection of many urine samples in the monitoring for IDD.We can take 0.1ml urine sample and enlarge the range of standard curve. [


In his recent paper (2020 Eur. J. Phys. 41 045202), Davis makes the claim that potentials and fields are ill-defined in the conventional treatment of electromagnetism. He argues that 'the usual treatment is ambiguous, with that ambiguity being reflected in the gauge transformation equations'. He then proposes an approach based on two operational versions of Helmholtz's theorem and claims that his approach does not exhibit gauge freedom and allows a rigourous definition of electromagnetic potentials. Here I argue that Davis's approach does not provide a more rigours definition of potentials than that provided by the standard approach. Apparently, Davis does not realize that when applying an operational version of Helmholtz's theorem to Maxwell's equations, he is not avoiding gauge invariance but tacitly applying it by choosing the particular gauge-condition related to this version of the theorem. The application of the instantaneous Helmholtz's theorem to Maxwell's equations is equivalent to the choice of the Coulomb-gauge condition, and the application of the retarded Helmholtz's theorem to these equations is equivalent to the choice of the Lorentz-gauge condition.


This article presents the sustainable assessment of service quality dimensions of urban bus service quality in order to support decision making and policy challenges in term of environment, economic and social context. A multiple-item scale of a sustainability assessment model was conducted on U43 Rapid KL buses to evaluate passengers' satisfaction based on their travel experience. The data were collected via survey questionnaires from 110 respondents (bus users) who are using the route. Findings indicated 5 significant dominant dimensions for the route, which are Environment, Reliability, Responsiveness, Physical Facilities and Safety. The higher value of Reliability is -1.254 was found to be the critical dimension and showed that the bus is unpunctual. This has lead people to incline more towards the usage of personal transportation. The result helped the researchers to identify the shortcomings of the current service and deliver some recommendations that can improve the service quality to attract new passengers.


The main objective of this quantitative — relational work is to analyze the variation of the profitability according to the sources of financing of the Medium — sized Enterprises of Ecuador (MESE). In order to carry out this study, financial information of 168 companies of the province of Loja, obtained from the database of the Superintendence of Companies of Ecuador, is taken into account. As a period of study, the years 2011 to 2014 were considered. The study variables were financial indicators such as profitability — dependent variables — represented by ROA (economic profitability) and ROE (financial profitability); and as independent variables: liquidity, solvency, leverage, and size of the MESE as a function of the volume of assets. The methodology used for the analysis of information was a correlation of variables to determine their associativity, using panel data. With the main results of this research, it s concluded that the MESE presents low correlations between the independent variables with respect to the dependent variables. Thus, it can be mentioned that the correspondence between the generation of profits and the increase in debt is low.


Summary Activity of the enzyme system concerned with synthesis of the peptidic link in p-aminohippuric acid was studied simultaneously with rate of uptake of isotopically labelled glycine and lysine into the protein of rat liver slices. The synthetase system increased by 40% in the hyperthyroid state. Incorporation of labelled amino acids, on the other hand, was uninfluenced in the same situation.


The article discusses infrared polycrystalline fibers based on the AgCl-AgBr crystals system, which are promising for use in medicine, since they are non-hygroscopic, non-toxic, and easy to sterilize. Mid-Infrared radiation (MIR) is interesting for medical applications, since numerous organic molecules and compounds are absorbed in the wavelength range from 2.0 to 15.0 $\mu$ m. To date, various sources of MIR radiation have been developed, such as IR lasers and IR spectrometers. These devices require fiber optic channels to output an optical signal to provide a non-invasive and safe examination of biological tissues and organic substances. Fibers made on the basis of AgCl-AgBr crystals can be used as such channels, since they have a wide transparency range from 2.0 to 20.0 $\mu$ m without absorption windows, have high mechanical strength and flexibility, and low optical loss. Uncladded and cladded polycrystalline infrared fibers are convenient for use in IR spectroscopy for the study of biological tissues. Photonic crystal fibers are convenient for use as fiber radiation leads, since they provide a small aperture and high transmission power of radiation.


INTRODUCTION I. OVERVIEW OF FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW A. Current Federal Campaign Finance Law B. First Attempt to Limit Contributions to Certain Independent Groups C. The Political Party Soft Money Loophole D. Closing the Political Party Soft Money Loophole II. HISTORY OF 527 POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS A. Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code B. The 527 Soft Money Loophole C. FEC Declines to Close the 527 Soft Money Loophole III. LEGISLATION'S BASIC FRAMEWORK AND CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS IV. CONSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE BASIC FRAMEWORK A. Standard of Review B. Compelling Government Interests 1. Preventing Corruption and the Appearance of Corruption 2. Preventing Circumvention of Federal Election Law C. Functional Equivalents Prove Sufficiently Narrow 1. Vagueness Avoided 2. Overbreadth Avoided CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION In the 2004 election, 527 political organizations (1) emerged from the fringes of the American election system to become defining and dominating players in a close electoral contest. (2) The names of these organizations were just as familiar as the candidates themselves: MoveOn.org, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, The Media Fund, and Progress for America Voter Fund, to name a few. (3) Unlike the candidates, these organizations operated with few restraints on their financial ability to affect the outcome of the 2004 election. (4) As a result, 527 political organizations produced and disseminated communications that defined and dominated the 2004 election. (5) Their political communications were often the most "hard-hitting and misleading" of the campaign. (6) To protect the integrity of our election system, reform is needed. The 527 political organizations achieved their dominance by raising and spending "soft money." The term soft money denotes unlimited monetary contributions provided by a single source that is given outside the reach of federal campaign finance law. (7) In the 2004 election, 527 political organizations received more than $400 million. (8) The soft money was raised from individuals, corporations, and labor unions interested in a specific electoral outcome. The most generous of these contributors made donations ranging from $3.9 million to $30 million. (9) Their contributions funded television advertising, partisan voter registration, and partisan get-out-the-vote efforts. (10) The emergence of these 527 political organizations was a direct result of the enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). (11) BCRA sought to eliminate single-source contributions that ran into the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars by restricting the ability of political parties to raise soft money to influence federal elections. (12) Prior to BCRA, soft money contributions were channeled through the national political parties. (13) Stymied by BCRA's ban, the political parties sought a new method of raising soft money. (14) They turned to 527 political organizations. (15) The 527 political organizations are independent groups (16) organized for the primary purpose of influencing elections. (17) Operating as independent groups, 527 political organizations may exist beyond the reach of hard money limits. (18) Thus, they are able to raise soft money in order to try to influence the outcome of federal elections. (19) Reform legislation was introduced in 2004 to stop the circumvention of BCRA's intent and protect the integrity of the American election system by closing this 527 soft money loophole. (20) The legislation proposed bringing 527 political organizations that promote, attack, support, or oppose an identified federal candidate within the scope of the hard money limits. (21) Although this legislation was not acted on in the 108th Congress, congressional campaign reform advocates continued their efforts to close the loophole by introducing similar legislation in the next congressional session. …


The article provides an overview of the criminal law on liability for less than murder and murder with extenuating circumstances in countries outside the рostsoviet space.


Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippocration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Free Hospital Campus, University College London Medical School, University College London (UCL), London, UK and First Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece


Six key sectors for increasing the yield and quality of I Teyou 3381 were as follows: selecting excellent parents,selecting warm areas for setting up seed production base,arranging high temperature days for producing spikes and flowers,isolating and eliminating impurities,bringing up strong seedling,guaranteeing for pollination.


Smart Grid (SG) is envisioned to become one of the leading technologies of the modern era by imparting information, and communication technology to the traditional electric grid. The power, and energy sector faces challenges to meet the continuously increasing demand of power. However, this is constrained by the limited fuel resources, as well as the threats faced by the global climate. To maximize the utility of SG in the present scenario, it can be integrated with Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). DERs, which include Renewable Energy (RE) sources, and Electric Vehicles (EVs), provide an optimal solution to the power, and energy problems faced by the world today. This paper proposes a green energy system, consisting of DERs, a Central Energy Management System (CEMS), and a Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STES) system. The STES system employs waste heat, and solar thermal energy to provide a clean solution to heating, and cooling demands of the community. The CEMS monitors, and regulates the flow of electrical, and thermal energy in the proposed system. The CEMS proposed in this paper is based on fuzzy rough set theory. The prime objective of this scheme is to implement a real-time green energy management system in SG environment to make a balance between demand, and supply.


We use the ROSAT North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) survey to construct a small, but purely X-ray flux-limited sample of cataclysmic variable stars (CVs). The sample includes only four systems, two of which (RX J1715.6+6856 and RX J1831.7+6511) are new discoveries. We present time-resolved spectroscopy of the new CVs and measure orbital periods of 1.64 ± 0.02 and 4.01 ± 0.03 h for RX J1715.6+6856 and RX J1831.7+6511, respectively. We also estimate distances for all the CVs in our sample, based mainly on their apparent brightness in the infrared. The space density of the CV population represented by our small sample is 1.1 +2.3 −0.7 × 10 −5 pc −3 . We can also place upper limits on the space density of any subpopulation of CVs too faint to be included in the NEP survey. In particular, we show that if the overall space density of CVs is as high as 2 × 10 −4 pc −3 (as has been predicted theoretically), the vast majority of CVs must be fainter than LX � 2 × 10 29 erg s −1 .


This paper analyses two interrelated issues. The first is a description and discussion of Australian identity dilemmas and contested regionalisms as a backdrop to an understanding of Australia's degree of engagement with regional security regimes. Throughout its post-colonial history Australia has been characterised according to three main geopolitical orientations – continental, geopolitical role and maritime. It is argued that Australia only came to fully realise its maritime orientation in policy terms towards the end of the Cold War period. The second issue in this paper evaluates arguments in favour of the need for an overall Indian Ocean Maritime Security Regime (IOMSR) and it is suggested that an inclusive model, built around energy security stakeholders, is much preferred from the viewpoint of long-term regional stability. This paper describes overall Indian Ocean (IO) regional security concerns and arrangements and then focuses on the nature of IO maritime security and insecurity and the initiatives currently in place to deal with such issues. Five options for the creation of a new IOMSR are described and evaluated and Australia's place within each of these is discussed.


During the post-war decades more and more passenger rail services have been deficit making. Economic support for these services has often been provided as a blanket subsidy from the central government with little specification of the services concerned. The support is substantial, at least MECU 7 000 per annum in the European Union (EU) Member States alone. Gradually, however, contracting, tendering and franchising schemes are introduced. At the same time there is a tendency towards regionalisation and decentralisation of powers.


For the women who traveled to the western territories in the nineteenth century, the journey brought sharp dislocations. Traditional work patterns were daily overturned with women called upon to do what they had long regarded as "mens' work." The consequence was that gender role, class orientation, even self-evaluation, became troubled areas to many women, but particularly to those women who came to the Overland Trail and the frontier experience in their middle years.


This study reported the effect of plastic greenhouse on the community of soil animal in Qingzhou district. We selected totally 8 sampling sites including 5 plastic greenhouse that have been used for 1 year and 3,5,7,9 years respectively,and 2 plastic greenhouse that had been abandoned for 1 year and 3 years respectively as well as the farmland as control. The results showed that the greenhouse can cause the decrease in the amount,density and a lower diversity index of soil animals,but this diversification could be recovered normally after greenhouse were abandoned for 3 years.


We present three patients with cryptogenic stroke who underwent transcatheter closure of a patent foramen ovale. All patients have had history of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism with placement of inferior vena caval filters. The patients were not initially considered suitable candidates for the procedure because of risk of dislodgment of previously implanted inferior vena cava filter. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2004;63:242–246. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


. Proximity of L1 and L2 VOT (Voice Onset Time) values illustrates that L1 stop categories are used to acquire L2 ones. While a number of studies have found that VOT is very sensitive to many factors, how speech time and VOT correlate is still understudied. This study tests whether L1 transfer in terms of VOT would enhance as speech time elapses. Six university students with Thai as L1 and English as L2 were selected to produce long spontaneous monologue speech and long read monologue speech produced. VOT values in English initial voiceless stops were then segmented and analysed using the mix-effects model. The result reveals that raw VOT in spontaneous speech is significantly shorter than in read speech and no correlation between adjusted VOT and elapsed speech time is found. does not correlate with elapsed speech time. Implications of the result are discussed in terms of stylistic variation and second language acquisition.


This article describes development of 3D numerical modelling to simulate the complex flow structure of coal pulverizers, which play a key role on the performance and efficiency of industrial utility boilers. The flow field inside a bowl-mill coal pulverizer is investigated by utilizing the advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technology using commercial software FLUENT.


Residual Oil Zones (ROZs) are an area of incrasing attention from hydrocarbon E&P industry with ever depleting reserves in known oil accumulations and advent of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Capture and Storage needs and technology. ROZ can serve as viable solution to both the future problems as a possible vast new oil resource and a prospect for reducing carbon emission. ROZs can be defined as thick pile of low-quality reservoir rock below traditional oil-water contact with about residual oil saturations of mainly irreducible oil resulting from the natural flushing of reservoir due to buoying forces and aquifer action in geological past in earlier oil-filled part of reservoir. The production of oil from ROZs from such reservoirs is technically and economicaly feasible through application of enhanced oil recovery techniques - largely through missible CO2 flooding/injection in the zone because of the nature of fluid and reservoir rock. The depostional and tectonic regime in the Kuwait Petroliferous Basins is investigated to demonstrate the occurrence of and independently assess ROZ potential. The understanding of Kuwait Petroliferous Basin indicates that ROZs might be developed by hydrodynamic actions associated with tectonic regime. The degradation of oil by water action and related increase of sulfur content of crude oil can be used as workable proxy for identification ROZ potential of the rerservoir. The regional mapping, understanding of tectionic history and regional systhesis of crude oil composition shows an extensive stratigraphic and lateral existence of ROZ potential across the Kuwait Petroliferous Basin.
 This study aims to provide strategic roadmap and detail data acquisition program that will reveal ROZ production potential in Kuwait for Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).


Ag nanoparticle surface plasmon enhanced ZnO homojunction light-emitting devices (LEDs) have been constructed. It is found that the Ag nanoparticles can increase the emission of the devices greatly, and the Ag nanoparticle decorated LEDs degrade little after placing in ambient air for three months, revealing their good stability.


Abstract:  With the global economic cost of liver fluke estimated at US$2000 million annually, alternative sustainable control methods need to be considered. One such option is biological control using malacophagous sciomyzids (Dipt.,). The effect of a range of temperatures (14, 17, 20, 23 and 26°C) on the duration of the egg stage of Sepedon spinipes spinipes (Scopoli), Pherbina coryleti (Scopoli), Tetanocera ferruginea Fallén and Psacadina verbekei Rozkošný was assessed using thermostatically controlled waterbaths (16 h light : 8 h dark). In general, for all species, the mean and median egg incubation periods decreased as the temperature increased. Optimum growth temperatures for mass rearing purposes are highlighted for each species. The cryopreservation (−20°C) of newly oviposited eggs for the purpose of long‐term storage was also assessed and possible reasons for the variability in the duration of the egg stage between the species in relation to their phenologies are discussed.


The present research deals with the important issue of assessing surface water quality ranking by combining the use of two advanced multivariate statistical techniques: Kohonen9s self-organizing maps (SOM) and the Hasse diagram technique (HDT). The object of the study is the Mudan River of Mudanjiang city region, China. Samples were collected on a regular monthly basis in 2007–2011 from all sampling sites along the river, involving six major water quality parameters. The grouping of water parameters and the clustering of sampling events by the use of SOM has helped in their pre-processing for application of the HDT. The HDT orders clusters according to the pre-clustered water sampling events. The water quality was ranked against norms established by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People9s Republic of China in order to assess in detail the water quality of the whole river system. The resulting map of the spatial and temporal changes in the water quality at each sampling site was specifically described by ArcGIS.


Evidence scholars have observed probabilistic fallacies in legal fact-finding and given them names since the 1980s (for example 'Prosecutor's Fallacy' and 'Defense Attorney's Fallacy'). This has produced a rather un-organised list of over a dozen different probabilistic fallacies. In this article, the author proposes a systematic account where the observed probabilistic fallacies are organised in categories. Hierarchical relations between probabilistic fallacies are highlighted, and some fallacies are re-named to reflect the category they belong to and their relation to other fallacies in that category. All fallacies are precisely defined and illustrated with examples from real cases where they are committed by fact-finders. The result is a list of 12 probabilistic fallacies organised into 7 categories.


Human oral microbiome research has revealed that differences in microbial communities may lead to not only oral disease but also systemic conditions. Although large-scale cohort studies are needed to further investigate these relationships, little is known about the storage method of salivary samples collected in the clinical field. In this study, the temporal stability of salivary microbiota at room temperature was investigated to support future cohort studies of the oral microbiome.


A jig used in a welding equipment for car sashes and parts requires high precision for accurate alignment of parts and tools. Jig precision is determined by comparison between checkpoint of a jig obtained from CAD data and direct measured data from the jig itself. The creation of a check sheet that contains these checkpoints is generally done, in small-to-medium sized companies, by translating 3-D modeling data of a part into 2-D drawing and by selecting checkpoints from it, because that companies cannot usually afford to possess and utilize a high cost 3-D CAD package. And, because it is difficult and inaccurate to show free surfaces of a part in the 2-D drawing, the check sheet created in this way cannot avoid containing errors to some extent. Furthermore, the creation activity of the check sheet by use of a translated 2-D drawing requires time consuming manual operation and eventually reduces company's productivity. In order to solve all these problems, an automatic check sheet creation program for precision check of the jig in a car welding was developed.


This paper is to determine the sequela of smartphone usage in the learning environment among school students in Malaysia. The sample size of the study was 150 (n=150). The result demonstrated that smartphone usage increases sympathetic education, understudy commitment, and the upgrade of the student's intellectual limit as well as an inspired concentration in both formal and casual settings. Also, self-governance and certainty assisted with the advancement of customized learning in helping low-accomplishing students to achieve academic excellence. The suggestions confirmed that smartphone usage in the classroom brings about a compelling and legitimate procedure in the learning environment.


. We have grown epitaxial . Sr ; Ba / n+1 Ru n O 3n+1 films, n = 1 ; 2 and 1 , by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and controlled their orientation by choosing appropriate substrates. The growth conditions yielding phase-pure films have been mapped out. Resistivity versus temperature measurements show that both a-axis and c-axis films of Sr 2 RuO 4 are metallic, but not superconducting. The latter is probably due to the presence of low-level impurities that are difficult to avoid given the target preparation process involved in growing these films by PLD.


Based on the carbon isotope record of organic matter from the Yuanbao loess section, northwestern China, five enhanced summer monsoon events were observed at this area during the Last Interglaciation. Such events were also recorded by the paleosol layers, pollen assemblage and magnetic susceptibility. It is suggested that the enhanced summer monsoon leads to the shift of vegetation type, which results in the change of δ13C value of organic matter in the paleosol layer. It appears that the δ13C of organic matter is a good indicator for the summer monsoon variation. Among these five events, the first, second and the fifth reached their maximum smoothly, but the other two had experienced a less cold stage before reaching their peaks, which suggests that the mechanisms of such events may be different.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence is increasing nowadays. Its diagnosis depends on invasive techniques such as colonoscopy and biopsy which is the gold standard for diagnosis. Its activity is monitored by fecal calprotectin levels which has a low compliance rate. Although it is unlikely for serum biomarkers to replace colonoscopy, a need exists for a serum biomarker that at least decreases the need for such an invasive technique.

 The aim of this work was to evaluate serum calprotectin as a biomarker for IBD in Egyptian patients.

 The study was conducted on 50 Egyptian IBD patients, 34% were males and 66% were females with their ages ranging from 15 to 62 years. Based on IBD type 60% were diagnosed as ulcerative colitis (UC) half of them were in clinical activity and the other half in remission and 40% were diagnosed as Chron's disease (CD) half of them were in clinical activity and the other half in remission. IBD patients were recruited from Gastroenterology Clinic, Ain Shams University Hospitals in the period from October 2019 till October 2020. In addition, 20 race-, sex- and age- matched apparently healthy subjects were included in the study as a control group. Serum calprotectin levels were measured by ELISA.

 The results revealed that the serum levels of calprotectin were significantly higher in IBD patients than in the control group and in clinically active patients than those in remission. There was a positive correlation between serum calprotectin levels, CRP and ESR, however the diagnostic value of serum calprotectin was higher than that of CRP and ESR as serum calprotectin had higher sensitivity and specificity. The specificity of serum calprotectin in diagnosing IBD was 95% and the sensitivity was 98%; the specificity of CRP was 85% and the sensitivity was 64%; the specificity of ESR was 85% and the sensitivity was 62%. Our work revealed that there was a direct relationship between serum calprotectin and platelet count and an inverse relationship between serum calprotectin and albumin and hemoglobin levels.

 Serum levels of calprotectin are increased and are associated with clinical activity in IBD patients so it may become one of the clinically valuable indicators of activity of the disease.


The paper presents a new weighting function that can be used in the method of IRWLS (iteratively reweighted least squares) for designing equiripple all-pass IIR filters. The purpose of introducing this weighting function is to improve the convergence performance in the solution of the IRWLS. The height of each weighting function is designed to be equal to the local maximum of each ripple, and the width of each weighting function is designed so that the area of each weighting function becomes equal to the area of each ripple. Here, the ripple is the absolute value of the phase error. We show experimentally that the convergence performance in the solution of the IRWLS can be improved by using the proposed weighting function.


Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a cytoprotective molecule and is inducible via oxidative stress. Anti-cancer therapies, such as the recently investigated gas plasma, subject tumor cells to a plethora of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In ovarian tumor microenvironments (TME), immune cells such as monocytes and macrophages can be found in large numbers and are often associated with cancer progression. Therefore, we quantified extracellular Hsp27 of OVCAR-3 and SK-OV-3 cells after gas plasma exposure in vitro. We found Hsp27 to be significantly increased. Following this, we investigated the effects of Hsp27 on THP-1 monocytes. Live cell imaging of Hsp27-treated THP-1 cells showed decelerated cell numbers and a reduction in cell cluster sizes. In addition, reduced metabolic activity and proliferation were identified using flow cytometry. Mitochondrial ROS production decreased. Using multicolor flow cytometry, the expression profile of eight out of twelve investigated cell surface markers was significantly modulated in Hsp27-treated THP-1 cells. A significantly decreased release of IL18 accommodated this. Taken together, our results suggest an immunomodulatory effect of Hsp27 on THP-1 monocytes. These data call for further investigations on Hsp27's impact on the interplay of ovarian cancer cells and monocytes/macrophages under oxidative stress conditions.


The Schottky barrier formed by deposition of CdSe on Al has been examined by temperature-dependence measurements of the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. The failure to determine the built–in potential Vd from the simple Schottky approximation can be remedied by assuming two regions of donor concentration in the space-charged region. The value of Vd is 0.2 V. The current transport mechanism is due to the tunneling current arising from field emission.


Succesfull iron fortification depends on the bioavailability of iron fortificants such as organic and inorganic iron and their interaction with other micronutrient such as vitamin A or provitamin A. This experiment was conducted to fortify iron (organic and inorganic) with or without provitamin A pumpkin in wet noodle and to study its effect on panelist acceptance, nutrient content and bioavailability in mice.
Completely randomized trial designed was used in this experiment. Optimized iron fortification was tested using inorganic (FeSO4) or organic iron (Bioplex) with iron level of 100 ppm, 150 ppm, 200 ppm. Optimized pumpkin fortification was tested using steam or pumpkin powder with pumpkin level of 10%,15% and 20%. To test the nutrient content and fortificants bioavailability in mice, 5 treatments were employed i.e: 1. control (without iron fortificant), 2. inorganic iron (FeSO4), 3. organic iron (Bioplex, Alltexh), 4. inorganic iron with pumpkin, 5. organic iron with pumpkin. Data were evaluated by one-way ANOVA and continued by Duncan's test with 5% confidence.
The results showed that 200 ppm iron fortificant had acceptable colour, taste and texture. Substitution of steam pumpkin in wet noodle produced better colour, taste and texture compared to pumpkin powder. Substitution of 15% pumpkin improved significanly the texture of wet noodle.
Iron fortificant and provitamin A pumpkin increased iron, ash and betacaroten in wet noodles. Bioavailability test in mice showed that the best iron absorption of was found in FeSO4 with pumpkin groups. Fortification of iron with provitamin A pumpkin increased serum iron and percentage of saturated transferrin. Fortification of Bioplex iron or FeSO4 with pumpkin or Bioplex with pumpkin increased significanly hemoglobin levels.
The iron-fortified wet noodle with provitamin A pumpkin can serve as functional food for vulnerable group of iron deficiency anemia in Indonesia


This dissertation is concerned with the study of an original robotic design of which the propulsion system is inspired by the rectilinear mode of locomotion as observed in real snakes. The proposed design is based on a prototype developed by the TDA company and consists of several modules. Each composed by a main body and 4 locomotor mechanisms driven by a motor. An analytic study and optimizations of the locomotor mechanism are given. The analysis of the existing prototype's model within an integrated robotic simulator based on open source libraries has shown the necessity to improve the robotic design. Consequently, the number of mechanisms embedded in a module decreases from 8 to 4 and ball-and-socket joints are used as intermodular joints. The intermodular joints are actuated or passive in respect to the considered axis. A trajectory following algorithm is proposed. This algorithm has been validated by simulations.


HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) is intended to store huge dataset values with accurate file location with high reliability and data streaming to the application is done at high bandwidth. HDFS deals with high fault tolerance with the use of replication of data. Many researches have been done on fitting the data in the exact location. The problem occurred in Hadoop distributed file system is difficulty with information space for storage. It is the most complicated problem which reduce the performance of the file system. To overcome this issue the proposed system aims to have the better data replication which depends upon the access count estimation in Hadoop framework. The proposed system creates the better replicas and to solve the data locality problem with improved arrangement of data replicas and to assign the task for efficient workers to complete the Map Reduce task to obtain the better results. By comparison with the existing system, the proposed system performs the better replication and solves the data locality problem. An experiment has been performed for evaluating the proposed technique with default technique and previously used replication techniques using a benchmark. With respect to the results obtained the proposed method obtained a better throughput when compared to the previous techniques.


Objective To compare the clinical effectiveness of whole blood derived platelets and apheresis platelets in children with hematological diseases.Methods Children were divided into two groups: apheresis platelet group(463 children) and whole-blood-derived platelet group(155 children).The platelet corrected count increment(CCI),percentage platelet recovery(PPR),the incidence rate of post-transfusion refractoriness to platelets(PTR) and adverse reaction were observed and assayed at 24,48 and 72hours after transfusion.Results In the apheresis platelet group,CCI and PPR at 24,48,and 72 hours after transfusion were significantly higher(P0.01),which were 18.9% and 15.4%,14.1% and 33.4%,27.8% and 25.0%,respectively.The incidence rate of PTR and adverse reaction in apheresis group were 10.58% and 3.02%,respectively,which were lower than those of whole-blood-derived platelet group.Both groups could achieve hemostasis quickly.Conclusion Apheresis platelets have higher CCI,and low incidence rate of PTR and less adverse transfusion reaction,compared to whole blood derived platelet concentrates.


Public authorities take considerable and oftentimes controversial steps in their efforts to dismantle criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and related crimes in Mexico. Among other things, they recruit offenders who abandon their criminal organization and strike a deal with law enforcement agents and prosecutors to share information about their co-perpetrators in exchange for leniency in sentencing as well as of protection from retaliation. This article explores whether the deployment of collaborators is morally permissible in view of the significant risks it exposes them to, most notably retaliatory aggressions. The article examines the underlying philosophical problem regarding the justifiability of deploying collaborators in the social and political circumstances prevailing in the country. The normative framework I advance to explore the Mexican case can be useful in examining the ethical implications of using collaborating witnesses elsewhere.


New data presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress demonstrates that rituximab's (MabTh era) benefits are sustained, or further improved, over the long term for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.


Increased accountability in equity raising means many boards may need to review their balance of skill sets to better evaluate key capital decisions


A foodstuff has been developed which can be used as an alternative to the traditional macroalgal food products known as Nori, Wakame and Yokan, in Japan. The incorporation of Spirulina microalgae in the Yokan substitution distinguishes it from the traditional Japanese product. Spirulina in the Nori -like form offers advantages over the traditional products that include purity control (the traditional product is harvested from the sea and subject to the vagaries of environmental pollution), flexibility, and cost for comparable nutritional content. In addition, the Spirulina has a distinctive, appealing colour which sets it apart from traditional Nori. Most Spirulina production facilities consist of large outdoor reactors that are faced with the removal of large quantities of water to recover cell mass because of the very dilute concentrations present. A concentration method involving the radial migration of Spirulina across the streamlines of laminar flow fits nicely into the niche between the reactor concentration and the concentration required for the aforementioned products. This report presents recent developments for the improvement of the concentration technology which include a theoretical driven design of branched fluid particle separators.


Objective To optimize the extraction conditions for volatile oil from Rhizoma zingiberis.Methods Orthogonal design was adopted.The extraction rate of volatile oil from Rhizoma zingiberis was used as the index for optimizing of extraction process.Ultraviolet spectrophotometry was applied to detect the content of volatile oil.Results The optimal extraction conditions were as follows:adding 18-fold water into crude drugs of Rhizoma zingiberis,and distilling the misture for 4 h.Conclusions Higher extraction rate of Rhizoma zingiberis valatile oil can be achieved by this technique.


The structural results clearly indicate that 2-(2-thiazolylhydrazono)indan-1,3-dione, C12H7N3O2S, exists as a keto-hydrazone tautomer in the solid state. The indandione and thiazolylhydrazone groups are connected by a C=N bond and the H atom bonded to N1 refines with a normal temperature factor. The entire molecule is essentially planar. There is a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond between the hydrazone H atom and carbonyl O atom. The asymmetric unit contains two molecules which have a `local' screw relationship.


Demand for automotive solar control solutions has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in Europe. In response to this, BOC Coating Technology has developed an innovative machine that can coat up to a million windscreens a year and includes a number of innovative features. This article describes how the system works.


Impact ductility of Q345 series steel was improved by controlling composition,adopting micro-alloy theory and controlled rolling controlled cooling technics.The impact ductility request can be satisfied by adopting reasonable heat treatment process.


Because of the trowble of hardware or software,the database in computer is destroyed,all or some data are lost in the database.So after the above-mentioned troubles take placing,we hope to construct this intact database again.Then we need to have overall damaged database recover high-efficiently.This paper introduce the basic courses that the database resumes,and offeres several kinds of practical methods that the Sql Server database resume.


This paper advances a new "quasi-blind" calibration algorithm to calibrate a multi-array network (MAN) of acoustic-vector-sensors, whose component-sensors may have non-ideal gain/phase responses, incorrect orientations, and imprecise locations. This proposed calibration is "quasi-blind" in not requiring any prior knowledge/estimation of any training signal's arrival-angle. This proposed algorithm is computationally orders-of-magnitude more efficient than maximum-likelihood estimation. These advantages are achieved here by exploiting the acoustic vector-sensor's quintessential characters, to interplay between two complementary approaches of direction-finding: (1) customary interferometry between vector-sensors, and (2) "acoustic particle-velocity-field normalization" DOA-estimation within each individual vector-sensor. Monte Carlo simulations verify the proposed algorithm's efficacy in "quasi-blind" calibration and its aforementioned computational efficacy.


Principal results are presented for the four papers that were supported from this grant. These papers include: 'Mapping and Energization in the Magnetotail. 1. Magnetospheric Boundaries; 'Mapping and Energization in the Magnetotail. 2. Particle Acceleration'; 'Cross-Tail Current: Resonant Orbits'; and 'Cross-Tail Current, Field-Aligned Current, and B(sub y)'.


Severe respiratory insufficiency was induced in adult guinea pigs by repeated lung lavage. The animals were then ventilated for 75 min with 100% O2, insumation pressure 28/68 cmH2O (2.7/0.6–0.8 kPa), frequcnry 30/min, and 33% inspiration time. One group of animals (I) was treated with protein‐depleted porcinr surfactant, prepared by a combination of sucrose‐gradient centrifugation, heating to 90°C, and chloroform/methanol extraction. Another group (II) received the phospholipid fraction of porcine surfactant, isolared from minced lungs by chloroform/methanol extraction and liquid‐gel chromatography. Surfactant was administered in two 1‐ml doses (lipid concentration 90 mg/ml) instilled via the tracheal cannula about 15 and 45 min after the lavage procedure. Non‐treated, lavaged animals served as controls. After 75 min of ventilation, control values for Pao2 and Paco2 were 13.3 ± 6.8 and 6.8 ± 2.3 kPa (mean ± s.d.), respectively. The corresponding values in Group I of surfactant‐treated animals were 52.9 ± 7.7 and 4.4 ±1.I kPa, in Group II 53.5 ± 7.3 and 4.8 ±1.3 kPa (P<0.02–0.002). The two groups of surfactant‐treated animals also had significantly improved alveolar air expansion in histological sections, as reflected by increased alveolar volume density (0.67 ± 0.05 and 0.62 ± 0.11 vs. 0.45 ± 0.08 in controls; P<0.002). The benefits of surfactant replacement in this experimental model were thus similar to those previously observed in animal models of neonatal surfactant deficiency as well as in babies with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Our data suggest that surfactant replacement might have a therapeutic effect also in clinical adult RDS.


The authors have been developing CAMUI (Cascaded Multistage Impinging-jet) type hybrid rockets, explosive-flee small rocket motors. This is to downsize the scale of suborbital flight experiments on space related technology development. A key idea is a new fuel grain design to increase gasification rates of a solid fuel. By the new fuel grain design, the combustion gas repeatedly impinges on fuel surfaces to accelerate the heat transfer to the fuel. To demonstrate flight performance of a newly developed 5000 N thrust class motor and accumulate flight data around the sonic speed, a launch test was conducted from a coast to the sea. Basic technologies for the sea recovery are staged braking by parachutes, suspending the fuselage on the ocean, and locating the fuselage by an electric beacon and sea marker. Test results were successful and all of the fuselage was recovered. A typical drag coefficient profile around the sonic speed was obtained.


Recently an f(T) gravity based on the modification of teleparallel gravity was proposed to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe. We use observational data from type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, and cosmic microwave background to constrain this f(T) theory and reconstruct the effective equation of state and the deceleration parameter. We obtain the best-fit values of parameters and find an interesting result that the constrained f(T) theory allows for the accelerated Hubble expansion to be a transient effect.


7523 Background: the POLARIX study, pts with previously untreated DLBCL were randomized to Pola-R-CHP or R-CHOP (NCT03274492; Tilly et al. 2022). We previously validated the prognostic value of ctDNA at baseline and after one cycle of therapy in POLARIX (Herrera et al. 2022); here, we evaluate the relationship between ctDNA clearance and PFS and OS. Methods: Pts were included if baseline and longitudinal ctDNA results were available. Plasma ctDNA was measured at baseline, Cycle (C) 5 Day (D) 1, and end of treatment (EOT), with the AVENIO NHL CAPP-Seq assay (Stokowski et al. 2022). ctDNA clearance was determined as previously described (Herrera et al. 2022). PFS and OS according to ctDNA status were reported as landmarked hazard ratios (HR) and 3-yr rates. HRs were adjusted for IPI score (>2), region, bulky disease (>7.5cm), age (>60 years), and cell of origin. Results: At baseline, 654 pts had ctDNA results; 494 (76%) and 519 (79%) pts were evaluable at C5D1 and EOT, respectively. Undetectable ctDNA (ctDNA−) was achieved by 57% (152/265) of Pola-R-CHP-treated pts and 59% (135/229) of R-CHOP-treated pts at C5D1 (p=0.79), and by 66% (172/262) of Pola-R-CHP-treated pts and 67% (172/257) of R-CHOP-treated pts at EOT (p=0.83). Achieving ctDNA− was prognostic for PFS and OS in each treatment arm at C5D1 and EOT (Table). Pts in the Pola-R-CHP arm who had complete response (CR) with PET-CT and ctDNA− at EOT had superior PFS and OS compared with pts with CR and detectable ctDNA (ctDNA+) at EOT (PFS HR 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14–0.66; OS HR 0.20, 95% CI: 0.07–0.60). This was not observed with R-CHOP (PFS HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.34–1.63; OS HR 1.11, 95% CI: 0.30–4.16). Among pts with CR and ctDNA− at EOT, pts treated with Pola-R-CHP had superior PFS vs R-CHOP (HR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21–0.82); this was not observed with OS (HR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.14–1.18). There was no statistically significant difference in PFS between treatment arms in pts with CR and ctDNA+ at EOT (PFS HR 1.20, 95% CI: 0.49–2.83). Conclusions: Achieving ctDNA− at C5D1 and EOT was prognostic for longer survival. Although no difference was observed in the number of pts with ctDNA− at EOT between arms, pts achieving CR and ctDNA− at EOT had superior PFS in the Pola-R-CHP vs the R-CHOP arm, suggesting deeper molecular responses in pts treated with Pola-R-CHP beyond the detection sensitivity of the assay used in this analysis. Clinical trial information: NCT03274492 . [Table: see text]


We hypothesized that the presence of monoclonal free light chains (FLC) in the serum of patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a marker of clonal evolution and a risk factor for progression. Forty‐seven patients with MGUS and documented progression to myeloma or related malignancy were compared with 50 age‐ and gender‐matched patients with MGUS and no evidence of progression after 5 or more years of follow‐up. The presence of an abnormal kappa/lambda FLC ratio in the serum was associated with a higher risk of MGUS progression (relative risk 2·5; 95% confidence interval: 1·6–4·0; P < 0·001).


We study the Hele-Shaw problem in oscillating media, and mainly are interested in the averaging behavior of the free boundary velocity, that is a homogenization problem. Our focus is only on the one-phase Hele-Shaw problem neglecting the surface tension. A general formula for the homogenized velocity is unknown. Current results are known for the media periodic only in space or only in time. In this work, we develop an efficient numerical scheme to estimate the averaging velocity in two dimensions with periodic coefficients in both space and time. Also for comparison, we implement the regular finite difference to obtain a numerical solution and we describe how to get a free boundary position. We present several computation experiments to test the error of both for the numerical solution and the free boundary position.


Prominence bubbles are cavities rising into quiescent prominences from below. The bubble-prominence interface is often the active location for the formation of plumes, which flow turbulently into quiescent prominences. Not only the origin of prominence bubbles is poorly understood, but most of their physical characteristics are still largely unknown. Here, we investigate the dynamical properties of a bubble, which is observed since its early emergence beneath the spine of a quiescent prominence on 20 October 2017 in the H$\alpha$ line-center and in $\pm$0.4 angstrom line-wing wavelengths by the 1-m New Vacuum Solar Telescope. We report the prominence bubble to be exhibiting a disparate morphology in the H$\alpha$ line-center compared to its line-wings' images, indicating a complex pattern of mass motion along the line-of-sight. Combining Doppler maps with flow maps in the plane of sky derived from a Nonlinear Affine Velocity Estimator, we obtained a comprehensive picture of mass motions revealing a counter-clockwise rotation inside the bubble; with blue-shifted material flowing upward and red-shifted material flowing downward. This sequence of mass motions is interpreted to be either outlining a kinked flux rope configuration of the prominence bubble or providing observational evidence of the internal kink instability in the prominence plasma.


In this paper, firstly, we prove a generalization of Ambrose (or Myers) theorem for the Bakry-Emery Ricci tensor. Later, we improve previous diameter estimate obtained by Galloway for complete Riemannian manifolds. To obtain these results, we utilize the Riccati inequality and the index form of a minimizing unit speed geodesic segment, respectively.


The present study explores parents' mental images and understandings of the concepts of "child," "individual," "mother," and "father" through metaphor analysis. The primary objective of this study is to uncover parents' implicit attitudes about these concepts in order to contribute to parental involvement initiatives undertaken by school leaders. The research was conducted with 174 parents. The metaphors were evaluated using content analysis method. A total of 468 codes were evaluated based on 10 themes, and the findings were interpreted in terms of parental involvement. The study presents several significant findings. Parents generated fewer metaphors for the concept of "individual" compared to "child," possibly influenced by collectivist tendencies. Both autonomy-enhancing and controlling parenting tendences were revealed about parents' attitudes. Metaphors that reflect controlling tendences downplay individuals' unique traits, reflecting the emphasis on community needs in collectivist societies. Metaphors related to motherhood emphasize nurturance and sacredness, while those related to fatherhood highlight protection and guidance, aligning with cultural gender roles. There is less emphasis on the loving aspect of parenting. Overall, these findings can be utilized by educational leaders and researchers working in similar domains, providing valuable insights into parental perspectives and contributing to the enhancement of parental involvement practices.


Heritability studies have suggested an important role of genetic predisposition to progression of joint destruction in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA); the heritability is estimated at 45-58%. Several SNPs have been identified to associate with RA susceptibility. We studied the association of several of these loci with progression of joint destruction. In total 1,750 RA-patients with 4,732 Sharp-van der Heijde scored X-rays of four independent data-sets were studied. Thirteen susceptibility SNPs that were not associated with joint destruction before were tested in 596 Dutch RA-patients. Subsequently, significant SNPs were studied in RA data-sets from North-America and Iceland. Data were summa-rized in inverse weighted variance meta-analyses. Further, the association with circulating protein levels was studied and the associated region was fine-mapped. We will show an association of IL2RA-rs2104286 with the severity of joint damage progression. We further explored this association by fine mapping of this IL2RA region and evaluating the IL2RA serum levels in relation to both genotypes and the radiologic progression rate.


In this article we study the effect of truncation on the performance of an open vector-at-a-time sequential sampling procedure (P* B) proposed by Bechhofer, Kiefer and Sobel , for selecting the multinomial event which has the largest probability. The performance of the truncated version (P* B T) is compared to that of the original basic procedure (P* B). The performance characteristics studied include the probability of a correct selection, the expected number of vector-observations (n) to terminate sampling, and the variance of n. Both procedures guarantee the specified probability of a correct selection. Exact results and Monte Carlo sampling results are obtained. It is shown that P* B Tis far superior to P* B in terms of E{n} and Var{n}, particularly when the event probabilities are equal.The performance of P* B T is also compared to that of a closed vector-at-a-time sequential sampling procedure proposed for the same problem by Ramey and Alam; this procedure has here to fore been claimed to be the bes...


Since nano science and technology has been developed at the end of the 20 century, the key technical issues is how to get a large number of high purity nano materials which were precisely controlled on the morphology, size and structure, and improve the dispersion and stability of nano materials. Among the numerous methods, laser as an advanced technology has got more and more attention. And the introduction of liquid medium makes the laser ablation process become more complex. This work presents the characteristics of nano-sized magnetic material. Focus on the application and preparation of NiO nanoparticles. By using liquid phase pulsed laser ablation method, NiO nanoparticles have been made in different liquid media. The comparison of the effect of different liquid medium on composition, size and shape, and process mechanism of the preparation by this method were discussed. In addition, because of the magnetic properties of the NiO nanoparticles obtained, it can be better applied in many fields. This unique method of liquid phase pulsed laser ablation, is expected to obtain new nano structure and material, show better physical and chemical properties of material.


Compendium of Papers from the 38th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California February 11-13, 2013 The National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) is a distributed, interoperable network of data collected from state geological surveys across all fifty states and the nation's leading academic geothermal centers. The system serves as a platform for sharing consistent, reliable, geothermal-relevant technical data with users of all types, while supplying tools relevant for their work. As aggregated data supports new scientific findings, this content-rich linked data ultimately broadens the pool of knowledge available to promote discovery and development of commercial-scale geothermal energy production. Most of the up-front risks associated with geothermal development stem from exploration and characterization of subsurface resources. Wider access to distributed data will, therefore, result in lower costs for geothermal development. NGDS is on track to become fully operational by 2014 and will provide a platform for custom applications for accessing geothermal relevant data in the U.S. and abroad. It is being built on the U.S. Geoscience Information Network (USGIN) data integration framework to promote interoperability across the Earth sciences community. The basic structure of the NGDS employs state-of-the art informatics to advance geothermal knowledge. The following four papers comprisingmore » this Open-File Report are a compendium of presentations, from the 38th Annual Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, taking place February 11-13, 2013 at Stanford University, Stanford, California. "NGDS Geothermal Data Domain: Assessment of Geothermal Community Data Needs," outlines the efforts of a set of nationwide data providers to supply data for the NGDS. In particular, data acquisition, delivery, and methodology are discussed. The paper addresses the various types of data and metadata required and why simple links to existing data are insufficient for promoting geothermal exploration. Authors of this paper are Arlene Anderson, US DOE Geothermal Technologies Office, David Blackwell, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Cathy Chickering (SMU), Toni Boyd, Oregon Institute of Technology's GeoHeat Center, Roland Horne, Stanford University, Matthew MacKenzie, Uberity, Joe Moore, University of Utah, Duane Nickull, Uberity, Stephen Richard, Arizona Geological Survey, and Lisa Shevenell, University of Nevada, Reno. "NGDS User Centered Design: Meeting the Needs of the Geothermal Community," discusses the user- centered design approach taken in the development of a user interface solution for the NGDS. The development process is research based, highly collaborative, and incorporates state-of-the-art practices to ensure a quality user interface for the widest and greatest utility. Authors of this paper are Harold Blackman, Boise State University, Suzanne Boyd, Anthro-Tech, Kim Patten, Arizona Geological Survey, and Sam Zheng, Siemens Corporate Research. "Fueling Innovation and Adoption by Sharing Data on the DOE Geothermal Data Repository Node on the National Geothermal Data System," describes the motivation behind the development of the Geothermal Data Repository (GDR) and its role in the NGDS. This includes the benefits of using the GDR to share geothermal data of all types and DOE's data submission process. Authors of this paper are Jon Weers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Arlene Anderson, US DOE Geothermal Technologies Office. Finally, "Developing the NGDS Adoption of CKAN for Domestic & International Data Deployment," provides an overview of the "Node-In-A-Box" software package designed to provide data consumers with a highly functional interface to access the system, and to ease the burden on data providers who wish to publish data in the system. It is important to note that this software package constitutes a reference implementation and that the NGDS architecture is based on open standards, which means other server software can make resources available, and other client applications can utilize NGDS data. Authors of this paper are Ryan Clark, Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS), Christoph Kuhmuench, Siemens Corporate Research, and Stephen Richard, AZGS.« less


In this paper I am going to argue a familiar but still controversial thesis about the relation between international ethics and international law, which I would sum up in the following list of propositions: First, international law is a source as well as an object of ethical judgements. The idea of legality or the rule of law is an ethical one, and international law has ethical significance because it gives institutional expression to the rule of law in international relations. Secondly, international law—or, more precisely, the idea of the rule of law in international relations—reflects a rule-oriented rather than outcome-oriented ethic of international affairs. By insisting on the priority of rules over outcomes, this ethic rejects consequentialism in all its forms.


Fast and slow longitudinal waves, which are respectively considered to correspond to the first and second kind waves in Biot's theory, can propagate through cancellous bone when an ultrasound wave is transmitted in the direction of the strong orientation of the trabecular network. The observation of both the fast and slow waves has been performed in many in vitro experiments but in few in vivo experiments. In vivo cancellous bone is generally surrounded by cortical bone, and therefore, it is considered that the layer of cortical bone can affect the fast and slow wave propagations in cancellous bone. In fact, it was shown that the generation of the Biot's second kind wave in a porous medium was affected by the interface condition surrounding the medium. In the present study, the effect of cortical bone layer on the fast and slow wave propagations in cancellous bone was numerically investigated using the stratified models of cancellous bone.


Recently, some mainstream e-commerce web sites have begun using "pay-per-bid" auctions to sell items, from video games to bars of gold. In these auctions bidders incur a cost for placing each bid in addition to (or sometimes in lieu of) the winner's final purchase cost. Thus even when a winner's purchase cost is a small fraction of the item's intrinsic value, the auctioneer can still profit handsomely from the bid fees. Our work provides novel analyses for these auctions, based on both modeling and datasets derived from auctions at Swoopo.com, the leading pay-per-bid auction site. While previous modeling work predicts profit-free equilibria, we analyze the impact of information asymmetry broadly, as well as Swoopo features such as bidpacks and the Swoop It Now option specifically. We find that even small asymmetries across players (cheaper bids, better estimates of other players' intent, different valuations of items, committed players willing to play "chicken") can increase the auction duration significantly and thus skew the auctioneer's profif disproportionately. We discuss our findings in the context of a dataset of thousands of live auctions we observed on Swoopo, which enables us also to examine behavioral factors, such as the power of aggressive bidding. Ultimately, our findings show that even with fully rational players, if players overlook or are unaware any of these factors, the result is outsized profits for pay-per-bid auctioneers.


Every teacher sets a standard for his or her courses, a somewhat elastic goal which each student should reach, one demanding effort, but within reach of all or nearly all members of a class. Presumably, the academically bright student will attain this goal with little trouble, while the academically dull can reach it only by exerting maximum effort. Too much emphasis is put on the attainment of such defined objectives. Assorted schemes in colleges purport to indicate performance relative to set standards, ranging from honors and A's to low grades, repeating of courses, probations, and dismis sals. In grade school, although in theory a student who is held back gets farther and farther behind as time goes on, actually, restraint of any kind is difficult. Many a student graduates from high school without reaching so-called standards. Laws require attendance at schools, but citizens do not and cannot prescribe teachers' standards for courses; neither can the teachers them selves. In effect, citizens through their laws ask that standards be disregarded, that teachers do the best they can with the students they face. Even on college campuses the difficulties in dismissing or setting back students are such that teachers and administrators shudder. Colleges frequently close their eyes to disqualifications and ease their consciences by overplaying honors and praise. In principle, the situation offers two possible solutions. One is to accept the arbitrary pedagogic standards and adopt a tougher policy with them. Reactions to such rigidity would be ameliorated somewhat if schools, parents, and other citizens would accept a fact, that academic competence is only one of several kinds of worthy competence. Under a policy of sternly held standards, students could not progress on the academic ladder unless stan dards were met. The alternative to putting starch in the rules is a relin quishment of standards?and we rush to explain that we are not pleading for a permissiveness which too often disrupts the educa


A series of n‐Si/diamond/CeF3/ITO composite film electroluminescence (EL) devices are made, and it is found that their EL spectra and EL intensities vary with the thickness of the CeF3 layer. For EL devices with a CeF3 layer thickness less than 500 nm, the EL spectrum is mainly concentrated in the blue and red areas. When the thickness of CeF3 exceeds 500 nm, the EL spectra of devices are primarily focused on the green and red areas. As the thickness of the CeF3 film increases (from 100 to 220 nm), the brightness of the EL device increases to the maximum (9 cd m−2, approximately pure blue luminescence); meanwhile, the intensity ratio between the blue peak and red peak also increases from 1.67 to 3.57 (maximum). As the thickness of CeF3 continues to grow (from 220 to 500 nm), the brightness of EL devices decreases gradually, and the intensity ratio between the blue peak and red peak decreases from 3.57 to 0.37. When the thickness of CeF3 increases to 700 nm, the corresponding brightness of the EL device reduces to 5 cd m−2 (minimum). Meanwhile, the blue peak (440 nm) shifts to the green area (524 nm).


Seven commercial off the shelf (COTS) boards containing electronic devices (all in plastic packages, PEMS), under consideration for use in a spacecraft subsystem, were exposed to beams of very high energy ions at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (MSU). The ion energies were high enough that an entire board could be exposed in air, and it could still penetrate through the plastic and reach the silicon die. A total of about 300 runs were made, and for each, the LET of the ion entering the silicon die had to be determined, based on the thickness of the plastic lid and the thickness of overlaying materials (e.g., aluminum degraders). Single event latchup (SEL) and functional interrupt (SEFI) were determined during each run, the SEFI by means of simple programs being continuously written to and read from the boards to monitor functionality, while each part was being exposed to the heavy ions.


This essay examines the groundbreaking work of Catalan art photographer Eugènia Balcells's 1979 black and white series, Ophelia (variacions sobre una imatge) as an act of feminist re-appropriation of one of the most popular subjects of Victorian painting and early photography. Baleei Is reclaims the canonical literary character by reproducing John Everett Millais's famous Ophelia (1852) in 37 black-and-white photocopies, then manipulating each of the images in ways that both reveal and resist the patriarchal constructs that informed earlier artists' view of Shakespeare's heroine as submissive, passive, ethereal-dead, asleep or in a melancholy trance. After a careful historical contextualization of nineteenth century images of Ophelia in painting and in commercial photography, Keefe Ugalde engages in a close reading of a dozen or more of Balcells's images, explaining how the artist relied on postmodern conceptual art practices to critique, disparage or subvert the ways in which Ophelia served to anchor patriarchal representations of women, and particularly young desirable women, to traditional models of submissive femininity.


1 The role of the vascular endothelium in the vasoconstrictor response to transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) was studied in isolated ring segments of rat mesenteric and femoral arteries. 2 In both types of artery, TNS (1 to 16 Hz) produced frequency‐dependent vasoconstriction, which was abolished by 100 nm tetrodotoxin, 10 μm guanethidine or 10 nm prazosin, indicating that the response was mediated by endogenous noradrenaline (NA) released from noradrenergic nerves. NA‐mediated vasoconstriction in response to TNS was significantly potentiated by removal of the endothelium. 3 In the presence of 10 nm prazosin, the reduced vasoconstriction in response to TNS was restored by incubation with 10 μm 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) for 20 min. Restoration of the response to TNS was markedly attenuated by treatment with 10 nm ketanserin, 100 nm tetrodotoxin, or 10 μm guanethidine, indicating that the restored response was mediated by 5‐HT released from noradrenergic nerves. Vasoconstriction mediated by 5‐HT in response to TNS was not modified by removal of the endothelium. 4 In both types of artery with intact endothelium, treatment with 3μm methylene blue potentiated the NA‐mediated contractile response to TNS, but did not potentiate the 5‐HT‐mediated response to TNS. 5 In both types of artery, the contractile responses to exogenous NA and 5‐HT were potentiated by removal of the endothelium. 6 These results suggest that endothelial cells regulate neurogenic vasoconstriction by releasing endothelium‐derived relaxing factor. Furthermore, it appears likely that the response to neuronally released 5‐HT is not affected by the endothelium.


This paper will examine in detail the discepancy between the phenomenon of decline of popularity of the choral amateurism that started in the mid-1950s and its rising prestige in the cultural diplomacy of the socialist Yugoslavia. Taking into consideration, on the one hand, the different phases of development of this practice after WW2 followed with various measures of the creators of Yugoslav cultural policies meant at its revitalization and expansion, and, on the other hand, strenghtening of its role and standing in the bilateral cultural exchanges in this period, we will try to point out the following: 1) how important the congruence between cultural diplomacy and national cultural policies (and politics) is, and 2) whether the focus on the different parts of the field of music is also fruitful for the cultural diplomacy.


Inpatient severe hypoglycemia (SH), blood glucose (BG) This study reflects a retrospective analysis of system-wide data from 2011 to 2017. Results show BG levels post alert are higher on average (mean 92.83) than pre-alert (mean 74.43). This magnitude of difference occurs in each year (pre-post differences range from 14.7 to 19.3), suggesting that the alert system led to a sustained beneficial effect over time. A decreasing trend in SH rate over time was observed, which differed by hospital (Figure). System-wide electronic surveillance and alerts improve safety in patients with diabetes across a range of clinical settings. This study proves ongoing efficacy of the alert process and variables. Disclosure M. Elliott: None. M.C. Blackburn: None. K.M. Heard: None. P.E. Milligan: None. P. Cruz Bravo: None. G.S. Tobin: Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., MannKind Corporation. Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc..


Efficient evaluation of selection predicates (e.g., range predicates) defined on multiple columns of the same table is a difficult, but nevertheless important task. As we have seen an enormous increase of data within the last decade, efficient multi-dimensional selection predicate evaluation becomes more important. This is especially important for scientific data management tasks, where we often face data sets that need to be filtered based on several dimensions. So far, the state-of-the-art solution strategy is to apply highly optimized sequential scans. However, the intermediate results are often large, while the final query result often only contains a small fraction of the data set. This is due to the combined selectivity of all predicates. We propose Elf a new tree-based approach to efficiently support such queries. Our structure indexes densely populated sub-spaces allowing for efficient pruning. Keywords— data analytics, indexing, main-memory databases, storage structures.


Services capability in Badminton Games is the one target of sports education for Elementary School in Indonesia. This study are (1) To find out whether there is a contribution of physical condition to the ability to service in badminton games for students. (2) To find out whether there is a concentration contribution to the ability to service in badminton for students. (3) To find out whether there is a joint contribution between physical conditions and concentration on the ability to service in badminton games for students. The researchers involved 90 elementary students in 5th grade. Analysis of data used descriptive statistics and correlation by regression. The study resulted that there is a significant correlation between physical condition and student concentration to their services capability in Badminton games. Simple linear regression found that physical condition contributes 68% to the student's ability. At the same time, the contribution is 71.1%. The multiple regression resulted in two variables contributing simultaneously to the student's capabilities with a contribution value of 75.8 %. Key Word: Eye-hand, coordination, flexibility, concentration --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 20-12-2020 Date of Acceptance: 03-01-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


During the development of a new computer program for the Loo-Riegelman method for the estimation of the rate drug absorption, it was found that many factors can affect the accuracy of the estimated absorption rate constant (ka). In this paper a survey of the factors affecting the errors in the estimation of ka by the Loo-Riegelman method is made. By simulating data and computer techniques, the effects of factors related to each step in the calculation procedure as well as the influence of certain pharmacokinetic parameters were studied in detail. If these factors are not well controlled, the estimated error in ka will become very large, in some cases even surpassing 30%. In addition, it was derived that careful attention has to be paid to both sampling time and the number of plasma samples. A "trial and error" method for obtaining an optimal sampling schedule that minimizes the error of ka is presented.


Although accepting bribes after leaving office and ordinary bribery were bracketed together in the same item,it is notinline with characteristic of bribery in strict sense.So,it is necessary to distinguish this kind of behavior from the ordinary bribery,to define the conduct according to different situation,which will be beneficial to judicial definition.


A general method of the BRST–anti-BRST symmetric conversion of second-class constraints is presented. It yields a pair of commuting and nilpotent BRST-type charges that can be naturally regarded as BRST and anti-BRST ones. Interchanging the BRST and anti-BRST generators corresponds to a symmetry between the original second-class constraints and the conversion variables, which enter the formalism on equal footing.


Abstract Additive models are often employed to measure the impact of response errors on the accuracy of survey estimates. An important feature of these models is that the correlated errors from specified error sources, such as interviewers and coders, contribute additive components, called correlated response variance (CRV) components, to the total variance of a survey estimator. As a result of these correlated components, the usual estimators of variance of a mean or a total are negatively biased, thus overstating the reliability of estimates. The underestimation, however, can be reduced or eliminated if estimates of CRV components are available. Further, the estimated CRV components can be employed as measures of quality of the particular operation(s) under investigation, for example, interviewer performance. The method of minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimation, due to C. R. Rao, is applied to obtain "optimal" estimators of CRV from interviewer variance experiments involving both interpenetrated and...


Financing in Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) is a worldwide problem.In the context of the international financial crisis,the problems encountered by the growing Qingdao SMEs are particularly prominent.The main reasons are limited financing channels,high threshold of bank loans,lack of collateral and undeveloped intermediary institutions etc.The government,financial institutions and enterprises should work together to improve the direct financing system,promote SMEs listing,establish the bank evaluation system in services and responsibilities,enhance the government services and financial innovation and develop guarantee companies.


The graft polymerization of styrene to nylon films in the presence of methanol was investigated under mutual irradiation conditions. Using one film thickness, the rate of graft polymerization was studied as a function of dose rate. The rate of polymerization was found to vary as the 0.5 power of the dose rate. Therefore chain termination in this grafting system is bimolecular. At a constunt dose rate the rate of graft polymerization was not a function of film thickness. Linear plots of percent graft vs time were obtained for the initial stages of reaction and the slopes differed only slightly for the three film thickness. Therefore, in the beginning stages, the grafting reaction was non- diffusion controlled and occurred volumetrically throughout the base polymer. A study was made to determine whether grafting takes place under steady state conditions by determining the rate of post-irradiation graft polymerization after two different periods of mutual irradiation. Phase equillbria studies were carried out for various polymer-monomer-solvent systems whose grafting behavior was previously investigated so as to calculate certain kinetic parameters. (auth)


Approximately 98% of the U.S. tart cherry crop is pitted and processed into canned, frozen, and dried fruit or made into juice. U.S. Grade A pitted tart cherries are currently allowed to contain up to 1 pit per 1.1 kg (2.5 lb) of finished cherries. To minimize product liability, and maximize end-user and consumer acceptance of pitted cherries, a finished pack having not over 1 pit per 28.3 kg (62.4 lb) of cherries is desired. Potential methods for the automatic detection and rejection of unpitted cherries and loose pits were investigated. Light transmission coupled with machine vision and image analysis provided evidence for the highest possibility of success at this time.