A Whole Space Scatterometer ( WSS ) is introduced in details. The scattering measurement experiments have been done by means of this system. Some experimental results are presented as well.

Keywords: BRDF , scatterometer


Taxes are a source of state money that the government uses for the development of the community. Due to the low taxpayer compliance of individual cotributors at KPP Pratama Surabaya Gubeng, this research's purpose is to verify the application of tax incentives, online systems, and education level on taxpayer compliance with tax justice as moderating variables. The method used is questionnaire to gather data from sample totaled 100 individual taxpayers. The statistic tool used is SmartPLS 3.0 with multiple regressions in form of PLS algorithm and bootstrapping. The outcomes show that tax incentives and education level have a positive and significant effect on individual taxpayer compliance, whereas the online system has no significant effect on individual taxpayer compliance, and tax justice does not significantly moderate tax incentives and education level on compliance. Individual taxpayers and the application of tax justice, moderates the online system's effect on individual taxpayer compliance. Tax incentive and education level found to homologise moderating variable while the online system has pure moderating impact towards individual taxpayer compliance.


ABSTRACT Several researchers have reported the detachment of vapor bubbles from a vertical heated wall in upward flow boiling of water. In these experiments, the bubble shape was frequently flattened along the wall at inception but became more rounded before the onset of detachment. In this study, the motion of two-dimensional bubbles is investigated numerically to elucidate the mechanism of bubble detachment. The numerical results show that the change in bubble shape due to surface tension force induces the liquid flow from the periphery to the base of bubble and consequently the liquid inertia lifts the bubble from the wall.


The problem of finding an optimal processing order for equi—spaced measurements taken for linear rgression purposes is examined. Optimality is defined in the sense of producing the most statistically accurate estimates for the number of measurements already processed. The excellent performance of a locally optimal greedy strategy which produces non–infereior (Pareto) orderings in the context of multi–criterion optimization is evaluated from the viewpoint of optimal replicated experimental design theory. An accelerated version of the greedy algorithm and computationally efficient heuristic algorithms are presented.


The invention relates to the field of traditional Chinese medicine formula, and specifically to an arborvitae leaf-flos sophorae-thistle-cogongrass rhizome decoction for curing peptic ulcer bleeding, wherein the decoction is technically characterized in that the raw materials comprise, by weight, 5 to 9% of arborvitae leaf , 4 to 7% of flos sophorae, 6 to 9% of field thistle, 5 to 8% of Japanese thistle herb, 5 to 8% of cogongrass rhizome, 2 to 4% of tabashee, 6 to 8% of dried rehmannia root, 4 to 6% of garden burnet, 2 to 3% of gallnut, 2 to 3% of pseudo-ginseng powder, 6 to 9% of calcined oyster shell, 4 to 6% of fossil fragments, 2 to 4% of arisaema cum bile, 3 to 5% of madder, 4 to 6% of hairyvein agrimony, 4 to 7% of plantain seed, 4 to 6% of poria cocos , 2 to 4% of polyporus, and 4 to 6% of purslane. The preparation method comprises the steps of individually packaging the pseudo-ginseng powder to standby, decocting other raw materials immersed in water except the pseudo-ginseng powder, removing slag to obtain a filtrate, pouring the standby pseudo-ginseng powder into the filtrate and shaking well to obtain thearborvitae leaf-flos sophorae-thistle-cogongrass rhizome decoction. The arborvitae leaf-flos sophorae-thistle-cogongrass rhizome decoction provided by the invention has the advantages of low cost, high effect on peptic ulcer bleedingcering, and no toxic side effect, and has the efficacies of stomach-fire clearing and blood cooling, blood stasis removing and bleeding reducing, heat clearing and fire purging,vital energy tonifying and blood controlling and so on.


Objective: The aim of the study was to identify risk factors for mortality in patients brought to the emergency department (ED) after blunt traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: The medical records of such patients who visited the ED from June 2004 to May 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Data (age, gender, initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores, initial vital signs, brain computed tomography scan findings and cause of trauma) were collected from the records of 204 TBI patients, who were treated at the ED and needed intensive care. Among these patients, 48 died in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. Logistic regression was used to assess factors affecting mortality after trauma. Results: Age (odds ratio (OR) 1.04; 95% CI 1.01 to ∼1.07), GCS score less than 9 (OR 19.29; 95% CI 5.04 to ∼73.82) and skull bone fracture (OR 10.44; 95% CI 3.59 to ∼30.38) were identified as possible risk factors of mortality in TBI patients. Conclusion: These predictors appear to be clinically relevant and may help improve ED triage of TBI patients in need of ICU care.


Osteomyelitis is a type of bone contamination that affects people. The most common symptoms are fever, soreness, weakness, and bone redness. The bioactive peptide homocarnosine (C10H16N4O3) is abundant in the cerebrum and skeletal muscles. This paper describes a novel method for detecting temperature due to osteomyelitis using an InGaSb-based Infrared temperature sensor, which was first tested on a rat. The temperature was detected and the synergistic effect of vancomycin (C66H75Cl2N9O24) and C10H16N4O3 against osteomyelitis in the treatment of bacterial infections was studied using 5 rat models. In summary, this work found that combining C10H16N4O3 and C66H75Cl2N9O24 treatment was more effective than C66H75Cl2N9O24 monotherapy in preventing bacterial growth and bone contamination. Rectal probe temperature readings have become common in recent years, and they have proven to be accurate and useful in this regard. Because of the drawbacks of invasive methods, non-invasive continuous monitoring technology has made significant advances in every aspect. Furthermore, non-invasive techniques are non-harmful, include rapid measurements, and do not disturb the subject of measurement. The temperature difference is being 0.2°C on average between an InGaSb based Infrared temperature measurements and rectal measurements (Clinical values) and an accuracy of about 95% is achieved. This data is communicated via Wi-Fi (ESP8266) medium to the remote centre automatically.


The present work established a method, using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis, for the identification and quantification of five phenolic compounds. Chromatographic separation was performed by a reversed phase C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and aqueous 0.1% phosphoric acid in a ratio (10:90). The calibration curves showed excellent coefficients of determination (R2 ≥ 0.99) within the concentrations tested. The recoveries were 84.09% to 99.98% for spiked samples. The method can be adapted for the detection of phenolic compounds, which can be applied to monitor the effluent discharged into the environment.


Polyaniline substituted azo dyes were synthesized from polyaniline obtained by oxidative polymerization of aniline and different azo dyes obtained from 2-aminothiophene intermediates. Four different polyaniline substituted dyes were synthesized and there molecular weight ranges from 58,044-58,128g/mol. The melting point was observed to span from 286°C-319°C. The FT-IR bands of polyaniline substituted dyes showed absorption peaks in the range 3213.0-3242.8cm due to the presence of an amino group, the benzenoid and quinoid rings for all the polyaniline substituted dyes showed in the range 1461-1487cm and 1543-1595cm respectively while the carbon nitrogen single bond (C-N) absorption were found in the range 1263.6-1285cm. The electrical conductivity measurements were obtained by employing a standard process using a programmable LCR meter at a frequency range of 200-100000Hz and the result was determined for polyaniline to be 5.957 x 10 S m. Thus electrical conductivity of synthesized dyes were observed to be within the range of 10-10 S m while polyaniline substituted dyes lies within the range of 10-10 S m. The electrical conductivity of the dyes and polyanaline substituted dyes lies within the range of electrical conductivity for semiconductor which is between 10 10 S m.


The Au(110) surface has a (2×1) missing row reconstruction. Its temperature phase diagram is investigated by a Monte Carlo simulation. The comparison of MC calculations with equilibrium data shows that attractive interactions are very likely to be between steps of opposite sign. By depositing, at low temperature, 1/2 Au monolayer a new metastable (1×1) phase can be formed. The kinetics of the (2×1) ordering upon annealing is found to be slow and necessitates interlayer mass transport as shown by step formation. By depositing 1 Au monolayer, a mostly (2×1) disordered surface is created. Upon annealing the ordering process requires no step formation and occurs at a lower temperature.


Objective To study the surgical experience of bilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation assisted by Sextant system combined with posterior unilateral TLIF treatment using Quadrant system for adult lumbar degenerative diseases,compare the surgery clinical results between this method and the traditional open TLIF.Methods 41 lumbar degenerative disease patients were divided into two groups:21 cases were included in the group of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation assisted by Sextant system combined with spinal decompression,interbody fusion using the Quadrant system(minimally invasive group),and 20 cases were in the traditional open TLIF surgery group(open group).Control study were compared.Results The two groups show fixation and fusion in good position.There were significant differences in operative time,blood loss,shimoji time,the proportion of use of painkillers after surgery between the two groups(P0.01).The ODI improvement rate after 1 year follow-up and clinical assessment were also significantly different(P0.01),the minimally invasive group was better than the open group.Conclusions Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined with minimally invasive TLIF using Quadrant system is not only a good minimally invasive surgical technique,but also a convenient,safe,effective treatment for lumbar degenerative disease.


The development and application of new technologies demand simultaneously the development of appropriate new risk criteria. This trend is observable for chemical as well as nuclear technology, and seems to be even more powerful for gene technology, especially when such technology is applied in food production. The application of gene technology to this particular field poses questions about additional risk criteria, which were not considered before. These risk criteria may become the ground in some cases for the banning of products produced by gene technology, which accelerated considerably the process of incorporating public views in decision making. We consider in our work the influence of the issues that have become the focus of public discussion on the introduction of new elements in risk assessment related to food production and agriculture. For example, the application of recombinant bovine growth hormone for increasing the productivity of dairy cows is raising a number of questions related to risks from the intensification methods in husbandry (risks to animal health in particular), risks associated with the increased concentration of IgF-1 factor and its possible connection with breast and prostate cancer, finally, about social risks that may emerge for small farmers. Antibiotic resistance and allergenicity of genetically modified food and their role for the development of risk assessment techniques contribute to this study as well.


The recent Constitutional Amendment no 66/2010, which modified the legal regime of marriage dissolution in Brazil by considering divorce as the only legitimate way to dissolve marriages, indirectly introduced an important change in spousal support legal discipline. In doing so, spousal supports were fully submitted to constitutional rules as a result of social solidarity and safeguard of human dignity.


In the past few years, orbital angular momentum beams have contributed significantly to many applications in the optical-related fields due to their unique phase characteristics. Here, a novel approach about phase-helices structure for Laguerre-Gaussian beams carrying orbital angular momentum is presented. This proposal is based on numerical simulations to track the rotation of each helix in the phase and shows an impact on the rotational speed of the Laguerre-Gaussian phase distribution by using the characteristic of distinguishability of each helix. If the helices in the phase of a vortex cannot be distinguished, then the angular rotation speed of the phase distribution can be seen as independent of the azimuthal index l, due to its rotational symmetry, and it is called {\omega}indistinguishable. Oppositely, when the helices are distinguished from each other, the rotational speed is affected by this azimuthal index, and it becomes {\omega}distinguishable. This distinguishable theory can build a pathway to applications in the field of optical communications (as a coding system) and particle manipulation (changing the dynamics of off-beam trapped particles).


Abstract The article describes an experiment in North Wales involving a CQSW course sub-contracting the organisation and support of its students' placements to a separate project jointly managed by the college concerned and other local educational institutions and agencies. On the basis of an evaluation of this experience some tentative conclusions are offered about such matters as the utility of jointly managed projects in addressing basic structural deficits in qualifying training currently, such as the shortage of suitable, well-found practice placements, and the extent to which the tutorial role in social work education can be effectively divided into academic and practice related functions. It is suggested that QDSW (if and when it comes) may shortly raise these and other related issues with particular force and urgency and that pertinent lessons already learned in the context of CQSW provision could usefully inform that debate.


Objectives:To investigate in vivo the effects of zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles on the main organs of female mice, especially on female reproductive system. Methods:Female mice, aged 5 weeks, were intraperitoneally injected with 200 and 500 mg/kg of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, respectively, every other day for 5 times. Control group was injected with equal volume of normal saline. After one week of treatment, the coefficients of organs serum biochemical parameters and gonadal hormone (E2 and P) in female mice intraperitoneally treated with ZnO nanoparticles were measured. Main organs were observed in pathology. Results:Compared with control group, the coefficients of kidneys and ovaries were significantly changed in both 200 mg/kg group and 500 mg/kg group, and the coefficients of heart was significantly changed in 200 mg/kg group. The changes of coefficients of liver (P0.05) suggested the small hepatic injury after treatment with ZnO nanoparticles. UA in both groups raised significantly (P0.05), showing that ZnO nanoparticles had small nephrotoxicity after treatment with ZnO nanoparticles. The significantly change of serum LDH in both groups (P0.05) suggested the limited myocardial damage compared with the control group. However, there were no significant changes in pathological observation of main organs, including ovaries and uterus. The level of E2 and P were not significantly changed by the treatment with two doses of ZnO nanoparticles. Conclusions:There were slight damage in the function of liver, kidneys and heart with large dose of ZnO nanoparticles. However, there were no significant effect on the levels of E2 and P and pathology of ovaries. In conclusion, ZnO nanoparticles under 500 mg/kg dose was safe for reproductive system.


Office partitions are part of office furniture that serves as a dividers of office space. Office partitions provide solutions to organize work space in the office to make it more tidy and efficient. The use of office partition is a modern concept of office space in maximizing office space to make it more comfortable. By applying knock down system to the office partition, wall panels can be dismantled and installed back to be installed or applied with certain batik pattern. The office interior now became an important part to represent clients to increase the look of an office. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative method, starting from the initial concept of the product, product development and prototype application of batik motif design on the partition. The results of this study are expected to be able to complement the space image with a certain style as a supporting element of interior design, as well as add to the appearance of the office interior to be more dynamic and increase working productivity.


ABSTRACT In 1825 Alexander Dyce published a remarkable anthology of poetry by women writers from Juliana Berners to L. E. Landon. The forty or so writers in the collection who wrote prior to the mid eighteenth century form an impressively varied collection. In this essay I examine the sources Dyce used and the reasoning behind the anthology as a whole. Dyce's volume not only exemplifies the remarkably catholic taste of a nineteenth century editor, but it also serves as a paradigm for how the transmission of texts by early modern women continued into the nineteenth century, and intersected with something of a golden age of the editing of Renaissance literature in general. I will consider how significant this selection of women's poetry was for Dyce's other editorial activities, and how his volume related to other nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century editorial projects.


The invention provides a low-radiation paint composition as well as a method for preparing the low-radiation paint composition and a low-radiation material including the low-radiation paint composition. The low-radiation paint composition comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 1wt%-15wt% of semiconductor nanometer particles, 1wt%-10wt% of water-soluble conductive high polymer materials and 10wt%-60wt% of organic silicon resin, wherein the semiconductor nanometer particles have a mean particle diameter of 1nm-100nm. The low-radiation paint composition provided by the invention can be used for improving the conductivity of the coating, improving the radiance, lowering a heat transfer coefficient, and achieving good thermal-insulation heat insulation performance. Moreover, the low-radiation composition is environment-friendly.


Introduction: The major complication of aspirin and clopidogrel (A+C) co-therapy is upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). However, data are unavailable for real-life situations. Furthermore, the treatment effect of antisecretory agents is unknown. Aim: This cohort study aimed to determine the occurrence of UGIB. The treatment effect of H2-receptor antagonist (H2RA) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was also analyzed. Method: The records of 987 consecutive patients on A+C co-therapy between January 2001 and September 2006 were analyzed. The follow-up ended on the dates of a first occurrence of UGIB, stopping A+C co-therapy, a change in the antisecretory class, death, or March 2007. Results: After a follow-up of 5.8 ± 6.5 months, UGIB occurred in 39 (4.0%) patients. PPI, H2RA and control were prescribed in 213, 287 and 487 patients respectively. After adjustment for age, dose of aspirin, previous UGIB and duration of treatment, the risk was marginally reduced by H2RA (OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.18–0.91, p = 0.04) and significantly reduced by PPI (OR = 0.04, 95% CI 0.002–0.21, p = 0.002), as compared to control. Conclusion: The occurrence of UGIB associated with A+C co-therapy for a median of 5.8 months was 4.0%. Co-prescription with PPI was associated with a lower risk.


Background. Clarification of the mechanisms of biochemical changes in the development of cerebrovascular diseases is the one of the main problems of modern medicine.The aim of our study is to determine the relationship of telomere length and telomerase activity with indicators of oxidative stress in patients with cerebral atherosclerosis (CA) and diabetes mellitus.Methods. The clinical and instrumental study involved 86 patients with CA.Results. The patients were divided twice into the 2 groups depending on the relative telomere length andtelomerase activity. It has been found that the patients with CA with long telomeres have statistically significantly higher level of catalase (CAT) comparing to those from the group with short telomeres. Also, in the groupwith high telomerase activity the CAT and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels are statistically significantlylower than in the group with low telomerase activity. It should be noted that the patients with long and shorttelomeres are comparable in age, and the age of the patients with low telomerase activity statistically significantly greater.Conclusions. In the patients with CA the association of some markers of oxidative stress (CAT, SOD, glutathione (GSH)) with telomere length and telomerase activity has been detected, regardless of the presence ofconcomitant diabetes mellitus. The most stable direct correlation in this category of the patients has been foundbetween GSH and telomerase activity (r = 0.48), that may indicate the key role of GSH in the rate of telomereshortening and the development of atherosclerosis.


This study compared the experiences of 10 participants who were blind and 10 participants who were sighted in working through an online learning task and explores the application of cognitive load theory. It considered the quality of the learning experience and the implications for practitioners.


This article examines the potential effectiveness of socially responsible investment (SRI) and investor environmentalism through carbon disclosure in terms of their key goal of creating real financial incentives, through share price performance, for firms to pursue climate change mitigation. It does so by theoretically assessing the two main assumptions which underpin investor environmentalism as promoted by SRI funds and NGOs such as the Carbon Disclosure Project: those concerning the power of institutional investors, and the business case for climate change mitigation. In doing so, it argues that the potential of using institutional investors to create real financial incentives for climate change mitigation, in the form of share price performance, has been considerably overestimated and that there is not even a strong theoretical case for why carbon disclosure should work in this regard. This is argued based on the structural constraints faced by most institutional investors, as well as the fundamentally incorrect assumption about climate change, that it is a form of market failure, which theoretically underpins these initiatives.


Displacements of Argentine hake Merluccius
hubbsi shoals in the spawning area of Patagonia before and
during a reproductive season were analyzed. In particular,
monthly changes in fish density, sex composition, size
structure and spawning location were described for this stock.
During October?November, hake shoals moved from deeper
waters to the coast at about 44°S, where spawning took place
in December. During January the main reproductive
aggregations stayed near the coast (50 m depth) but displaced
to the southern area (45°S); in February spawning activity
diminished and spent females began to return to deeper
waters. In general, this process was first completed by young
spawners (35?45 cm TL), which have a breeding season
shorter than the old females. We observed that males arrived
at the spawning area first and remained there for a longer
period than females. During the reproductive period skewed
sex ratios in different sampling sites were observed. These
differences in sex composition were attributable to: 1) local
segregation produced by the reproductive behavior of hake, in
which males form groups with a single female, and 2)
migration of spent females to deeper waters, which causes
male-biased samplings in coastal areas.


Water quality and availability are identified as priority areas for outreach and educational programs in many U.S. regions. This project offers a needs assessment tool (survey) that could be used on a state-by-state, regional, or national basis to analyze public attitudes, opinions, and behaviors as related to water resource issues. The information collected through the needs assessment can be used to identify objectives, strategies, and delivery modes for extension programs, and to evaluate the programs. The goal was to implement the needs assessment survey at 5-year intervals to: (1) measure changes in public priorities; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs; and (3) reprioritize, as necessary, the educational goals. A needs assessment survey template was developed and piloted in the Pacific Northwest. During 2001–2010, surveys were conducted in 41 states and six Pacific Island entities. Almost 11,000 surveys were returned completed for a response rate of 44.5%. Five-year follow-up surveys have been completed in five states to date. The results of these surveys have been used to prioritize extension water programs and compare issues and needs across and within regions. It is anticipated that some form of this survey will be conducted at 5-year time intervals until water is no longer of national concern. Impact Statement The surveys conducted through this national project provide 485,000 base line data points from 41 states and six entities associated with the United States. This base line data can be used in conjunction with future surveys to measure public change in attitudes and actions taken to protect water resources. This is the largest database of its kind and is a valuable resource for extension educators to measure the impacts of water educational programs over time. Abbreviations: AREERA, Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998; AS, American Samoa; CNMI, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; CSREES, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; FSM, Federated States of Micronesia; LGIs, land-grant institutions; NRCS, Natural Resource Conservation Service; PNW, Pacific Northwest Region; RMI, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Copyright © 2013 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711 USA. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Nat. Sci. Educ. 42:98–103 (2013) doi:10.4195/nse.2012.0025 Available freely online through the author-supported open access option. R.L. Mahler, Soil Science Division, PSES 442339, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2339; M.D. Smolen, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Dep., Oklahoma State Univ., 111 Agricultural Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078-6016; T. Borisova, Food and Resource Economics Dep., 1097 McCarty Hall B, P.O. Box 110240 IFAS, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0240; D. Boellstorff, Dep. of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77843-2474; D.C. Adams, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, and Food and Resource Economics Dep., P.O. Box 110410 IFAS, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0410; N.W. Sochacka, College of Engineering, Driftmier Engineering Center, Univ. of Georgia, 597 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602. Received 27 Nov. 2012. *Corresponding author (email@example.com). Published September 23, 2013


This study aims to evaluate the practicality, validity, and effectiveness of the static electricity subject matter learning tool for junior high school students. Learning tools include syllabus, lesson plans, teaching materials, student worksheet, and assessment sheets. The research model used is the Tessmer development model which consists of five steps, namely as follows: 1) self-evaluation; 2) expert opinion (expert review); 3) Individual trial (one to one); 4) small group trials; and 5) field test. The data analysis technique used in this research is quantitative analysis which includes data analysis on the validity of learning tools, data analysis on the practicality of learning tools, and data analysis on the effectiveness of learning tools. This type of research is development research. The research was conducted at SMP Negeri 2 Bati-Bati. The research subjects consisted of the subject of validation of five experts, the subject of individual trials of three students, the small group trial consisting of five students and the field test consisting of 27 students. The results showed that the learning tools developed were valid, practical and effective. Valid based on the results of tool validation by the validator including syllabus, lesson plans, teaching materials, worksheets, and LKPD assessment sheets which are categorized as valid and readability test of teaching materials and worksheets by students who are categorized as good. Practical based on the activities of teachers and students who are categorized as good from the lesson plan implementation sheet. Effective based on the results of worksheets that show an increasing trend in indicators adapted from Watson-Glaser's critical thinking skills.


This note examines the connection between μ‐invariant measures for the transition function of a continuous‐time Markov chain and those of its q‐matrix, Q. The major result establishes a necessary and aufficient condition for a convergent μ‐invariant measure for Q to be μ‐inhant for the minimal transition function, P, under the assumption that P is honest. This corrects Theorem 6 of Vere‐Jones (1969) and the first part of Corollary 1 of Pollett (1986), both of which assert that the above conclusion holds in the absence of this condition. The error was pointed out by E.A. van Doom (1991) and the counterexample which be presented provides the basis for the present arguments. In determining where the error occurred in the original proof, we are able to identify a simple sufficient condition for μ‐invariance.


The oxidation of some α-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid (GA), malic acid (MLA), lactic acid (LA) and mandelic acid (MA) by triethylammonium fluorochromate (TriEA FC) have been studied in aqueous acetic acid medium . The oxidation leads to the formation of the correspondi ng oxo acids. The reaction is first order with resp ct to TriEAFC, hydroxy acids and [H] and the reaction is catalyzed by hydrogen ions . The reaction rate increased remarkably with the increase in the proportion of acetic acid in the solvent medium. Various thermodynamic parame ters have been determined. A suitable mechanism has been prop osed.


This article reports on a study to uncover the health concerns of clients attending a methadone maintenance programme provided by an addiction service in Ireland. The Health Concerns Questionnaire 3 was completed by 261 clients attending methadone maintenance clinics. The most endorsed items tended to be psychosocial health concerns, particularly mood-related items. Additional comments highlighted various health issues including hepatitis C, diet, and sexual and mental health. Clients on methadone maintenance demonstrated a high level of health-related concerns. In particular, they were most concerned about mood and hepatitis C; these topics therefore merit attention from staff in addiction services. (C)2008 Nursing Times


Direct realist theories of perception do not receive much consideration today, aside from the cursory refutations that have appeared in the lit erature for decades.1 The model of perception most widely accepted today, dominant across not just mainstream philosophy of mind but also psychology, cognitive science, and neurophysiology, is "indirect" (or "representational") realism. For indirect realism, the external world's existence and knowability is not compromised by its absence in expe rience. There are notorious difficulties involved with sustaining indi rect realism's viability in the face of challenges from the idealist (why doesn't experience simply encompass all reality?) and the skeptic (how can we know anything beyond experience?). Direct realists see such difficulties as unnecessary and preventable. If some form of direct real ism can effectively reply to these challenges, philosophy of mind and psychology would be radically transformed. This paper develops one sophisticated type of direct realist theory, the direct contextual realism (DCR) theory of perception. DCR holds that perception is a natural process of experience that contains a por tion of the perceived object (typically its surface) within that process. This theory's origins may be traced back to the attempts by pragma tists, especially John Dewey, to formulate an alternative to dualistic and idealistic accounts of experience. These origins will not be surveyed here,2 although they inspire my efforts to revive direct contextual real ism. For today's readers, the motivation for giving this theory due con sideration will be developed in two stages. First, this paper examines a strong argument by John Foster against direct realism in order to expose a contradiction within its foundations. Second, it shows how this con tradiction can be avoided through contextualizing perception while at


Considering the advantages and disadvantages of CuW alloys with different single particle size of tungsten powder, CuW alloys with three kinds of tungsten powders: ultramicron (50 μm), micron(6–8 μm), submicron(0.4 μm) were prepared by the infiltration method. Microstructure of the CuW alloy with different grading ration of tungsten powder were characterized via field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM). The Vacuum electrical breakdown properties were studied by electrical breakdown test. The results shows that the grading tungsten powders can form a variety of W-W sintered necks, strengthen the tungsten skeleton. SEM results show that a suitable ratio of grading tungsten powders can make the infiltrated copper phase more dispersed and uniform. Compared with the tradition CuW alloy, the conductivity is greater than 53.5%IACS, with the lowest hardness of 203HB, the lowest CuW/CrCu bonding strength of 417 MPa and the highest of 495 MPa, the hardness and electrical conductivity increased by 20%–30%, the bonding strength of new CuW/CrCu monolithic materials increased by 20%, vacuum electrical breakdown properties performed good.


We report results of calculations of radiative efficiency of In Ga N quantum wells embedded in wurtzite GaN x 1yx epilayer. It was found that misfit dislocations with density up to ; 10 5-6 cm y1 could improve the quantum efficiency of the In Ga N wells by more than 10 times because they reduce the quantum well built-in electric field. At higher densities, the x 1yx


The M-estimates of multivariate location and scatter are a class of robust alternatives to the sample mean vector and sample covariance matrix. They also have applications to bounded influence regression. There are a number of problems, though, which need to be resolved before they can become widely applicable. This paper addresses the problems of existence, uniqueness and computation of the M-estimates for finite sample sizes.The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a new algorithm for calculating the scatter component. This algorithm is essentially a fixed point algorithm with a scale adjustment made at each iteration. The algorithm is shown to converge "monotonically" and under less restrictive conditions than those demanded by previous algorithms. The existence and uniqueness of the M-estimates are also established under less restrictive conditions than those previously known. These relaxed conditions are most important for the more robust M-estimates and also when using more conserv...


Using CTMACl as template,mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 was synthesized in the microwave experimental conditions,the method can shorten synthesis time and reduce product costs.A variety of factors to affect synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 were investigated,and through testing the adsorption ability of the gained sieves for methylene blue,the best reaction conditions were gained as follows: TEOS︰CTMACl︰H2O=1︰0.2︰160,pH=10,crystallization time 15 min.Through analysis of IR,main absorption peaks has appeared,which indicates that mesoporous molecular sieves MCM – 41 has successfully been synthesized.


The investigation of secular variation of the global land annual precipitation(GLAP) for 1948 -2003 suggests that GLAP experiences a decrease of 0.43 mm/a on average. The spatial distribution of the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF-1) for GLAP analysis accounts for 97.9% of the total variance, which shows almost the same pattern as that of the annual mean precipitation averaged for 1948 - 2003, with a similarity coefficient being as high as 0.99. The temporal coefficients of EOF-1 exhibit a remarkably decreasing trend with the trend coefficient being - 0.37 and the confidence level being 99 % . Besides, the variations of seasonal and monthly precipitation over global land and their characteristics in recent years are analyzed, and the trend of GLAP for 36 latitude zones is also examined. It is concluded that the trend coefficients of 12 latitude zones are significant at a confidence level of 95% , while only one latitude zone(75°N - 80°N) out of 12 zones shows a positive trend.


Recent work by Wang and Phillips (2009b, 2011) has shown that ill‐posed inverse problems do not arise in non‐stationary non‐parametric regression and there is no need for non‐parametric instrumental variable estimation. Instead, simple Nadaraya–Watson non‐parametric estimation of a cointegrating regression equation is consistent irrespective of the endogeneity in the regressor. The present paper shows that some closely related results apply in the case of structural non‐parametric regression with independent data when there are continuous location shifts in the regressor. Some interesting cases are discovered where non‐parametric regression is consistent, whereas parametric regression is inconsistent even when the true regression functional form is known and used in regression. This appears to be a paradox, as knowing the true functional form should not in general be detrimental in regression. The paradox arises because additional correct information is not necessarily advantageous when information is incomplete. In this case, endogeneity in the regressor introduces bias when the true functional form is known, but interestingly does not do so in local non‐parametric regression. We propose two new consistent estimators for the parametric regression, which address the endogeneity in the regressor by means of spatial bounding and bias correction using non‐parametric estimation.


It is held that in this article Lushichunqiu is a book which regards Taoism as the main contents on the basis of developing and discarding the various schools of thought .Because its theories are incompatible with the inherent historical tradition of Qin Emperor , Lushichunqiu does not mount the throne of state ideology in the end .


Abstract
This study intends to find out what is the initial knowledge of the students before they were treated using Frayer Model and Concept Mapping Strategy, ascertain of the significant difference between these two teaching strategies, and to know the responses of the students after they were taught using Frayer Model and Concept Mapping Strategy are the aims of this research. This is a quantitative study with comparative design to know the students' vocabulary acquisition test. The research instrument of this study is pre-and-post-test. This study was conducted among eleventh grader students at SMAN 1 Parongpong. The results of this study showed that the initial score for both respondents are quite similar with the score for FM group which is 30.50 and for CMS group which is 33.40. It is also known that there is a significant difference in students' vocabulary acquisition between students who are taught with Frayer Model and those who are taught with Concept Mapping Strategy showed by the result of the mean differences from both groups are 0.000 < 0.05. The questionnaire's result also supports that both teaching strategies are eligible to be applied in teaching active and passive voice construction with the score for FM class which is 55% and for the CMS class which is 80%, it can be categorized as "Good". It implies that the implementation of Frayer Model and Concept Mapping Strategy enhances student's vocabulary acquisition.

Keywords: Language Proficiency, Vocabulary Acquisition, Frayer Model, Concept Mapping Strategy


The theory of the six degrees of separation states that there are no more than six people between someone and any stranger, meaning that someone can meet any stranger through no more than six intermediaries. As one of the most popular social media applications in China, Weibo and its user data can be employed as the testing tool for the practical significance the theory holds. In this paper, an indirect network acquisition system containing two subsystems: Weibo user data acquisition system and user relationship analysis system has been established by Web crawler, and the system's availability and effectiveness have been tested by system service test, which shows the possibility of the Indirect network acquisition system.


This study focuses on one small but rapidly urbanizing city in arid northwest Namibia, where urban and peri-urban crop cultivation has been expanding in recent decades, yet the reasons behind this development are unclear. This thesis aims to identify the factors that are driving this change through three analytical lenses: demographic, socio-economic, and environmental. To achieve this, an understanding of the local food system was established both from the consumption and production side. A market survey was conducted, and farmer and agency interviews were carried out during a six-week research period on site in Opuwo, Namibia. The main drivers for crop expansion that emerged from this study include: environmental stressors, population pressure and urban migration; economic savings and dietary supplement; and supporting the informal social safety net. This paper discusses how these closely interconnected and complex factors work to influence the growth of cultivation in this water scarce landscape.


chapters quite an undertaking. Ten of the sections, including one on paediatrics, cover clinical topics. There is a section on investigation and monitoring and another on physiology. Apart from the chapter on acid-base balance, which is clinically irrelevant and out of date, the section on applied physiology is excellent. The aim of the book has been to produce "a comprehensive work of reference ... a breadth of detailed and relevant information". It must have been difficult to cover every aspect of intensive care medicine but there are too many major omissions. I could not find any mention of myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, poliomyelitis, acute collagen disorders or obstetric emergencies. There is a large section of paediatric intensive care but no mention of one of the commonest emergencies acute airway obstruction. Fat embolism scores a single paragraph in a chapter on pulmonary thromboembolism and sedation is barely mentioned. Sophisticated postoperative care accounts for a large proportion of the workload in many intensive care units and yet there appears to be no account of it at all. Cardiac surgery is not mentioned and yet there are several chapters on what could be described as coronary care. Economics, prognostic indices and ethics are currently among the most exciting and important areas of intensive care medicine and yet they deserve only a small paragraph in the section on psychiatry. The book has detail, but little of the breadth and relevance that was aimed for. There are too many clinical chapters which are not about caring for the critically ill and many other important topics missing altogether.


The abortion causes of cow were investigated in 7 dairy farms of Beijing.Forty-two strains of bacteria were isolated from the aborted fetus and vaginal secretion of cow.The identification results indicated 19 strains of staphylococci(45.2%),10 strains of bacilli(23.8%)and 13 strains of other gram-negative bacteria(31.0%),and 28 strains had the pathogenicity for mice.Antibacterial effects of 25 kinds of common antibiotics,7 kinds of Chinese Herb Medicines and a compound agent on six pathogenic bacteria were investigated by detecting their MIC and MBC.The results showed that the pathogens had resistance to some kinds of antibiotics to different degrees,such as peni cillin and streptomycin,while manifested a fairly good sensitivity to Quinolones and Cefalosporins.Flos lonicerae and Fructus trichosanthis were highly sensitive against the six pathogenic bacteria.


Abstract Background The accurate diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related fibrosis is crucial for prognosis and treatment decisions. FibroSure and FibroScan are commonly used to approximate fibrosis prior to HCV treatment. Both methods have been validated for their correlation to the five-level (F0–F4) METAVIR scoring system. However, the correlation between these two tests in HIV/HCV co-infected patients has not been well described. Here, we evaluated the concordance between FibroSure and FibroScan-derived METAVIR results in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Methods We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of HIV/HCV co-infected patients that were treated between 2014 and 2017 at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. We described patient demographics and overall METAVIR scores of treated patients. Further, we compared the concordance between FibroSure and FibroScan results among patients who had both tests before the start of HCV treatment. Results One hundred and thirty-eight HIV/HCV co-infected patients were treated. Most of them (N = 134, 97%) achieved sustained virologic response after 12 weeks of treatment. One hudred and thirty-three patients underwent FibroSure testing before starting HCV treatment. Of those, 62 (47%) fell in the F0–F2 range and 71 (53%) in the F3–F4 range. Of those 133 patients, 21 also underwent FibroScan. Fourteen (67%) fell in the F0–F2 range, while seven (33%) fell in the F3–F4 range. Of the 21 patients who both had FibroSure and FibroScan testing, 12 (57%) had concordant results, while nine (42%) had discrepant results. Of the patients with discrepant results, eight had higher fibrosis scores (F3–F4) with FibroSure, while only one had a higher fibrosis score (F3–F4) with FibroScan. Conclusion In our study, more than half of HIV/HCV co-infected patients had advanced fibrosis score at the time of HCV treatment. When FibroSure and FibroScan scores were compared, close to half of co-infected patients had discordant results, the preponderance of which had higher FibroSure scores. As early initiation of HCV treatment is crucial to co-infected patients, further studies will need to evaluate the clinical significance of the discrepancy between different non-invasive fibrosis testing systems in co-infected patients. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


As I reviewed the papers for this special issue on "Women and Co-Occurring Disorders" I was struck with how similar the concerns about the treatment needs for women with cooccurring disorders were to the needs of women with substance use disorders expressed in the literature of the early 1980s (Vourakis, 1983). Typically during this earlier period, women entered mixed-gender treatment programs developed primarily for men's needs. It was believed that women were harder to treat because their success in these treatment settings was unpredictable in terms of program completion and post treatment abstinence. Eventually, an accumulation of evidence led policy makers and funding agencies to focus attention on women and the factors inhibiting or promoting success in treatment. At that time I was living in the San Francisco Bay Area and I noted that not only did this area of California have more 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous self-help groups (including groups for women only), per capita then anywhere in the world but many people who were involved in these groups on a consistent basis, were achieving successful recovery and living fruitful lives. It occurred to me that interviewing women who were successful (had achieved a year or more of recovery) in Alcoholics Anonymous might offer some suggestions for program development or altering existing programs to meet the needs of women entering mixed-gender proprietary or publicly funded treatment settings (Vourakis, 1989). Results from this study were generally consistent with other published research reports available during that period. The findings from the body of research and the clinical concerns expressed during the 1980s and early 1990s led to alterations in mixed-gender treatment programs and the development of separate treatment settings for women only. Modifications such as the introduction of all-women's groups and attention to the special needs of women in mixed-gender programs became accepted practice. Special efforts were made to provide a safe female-only environment within mixed settings so women could freely share experiences of past physical or sexual abuse. Specialized treatment for women included programs for them and their dependent children. While some of these programs still exist, economic shifts have eroded some of the gains in women's treatment over the last 15 years. So once again with the focus on co-occurring disorders we have an opportunity to better serve the


CD28 expression is generally considered to be T lymphocyte specific. We have previously shown CD28 mRNA expression in M‐CSF‐dependent anti‐inflammatory monocyte‐derived macrophages (M‐MØ), and now demonstrate that CD28 cell surface expression is higher in M‐MØ than in GM‐CSF‐dependent macrophages, and that macrophage CD28 expression is regulated by MAFB and activin A. In vivo, CD28 was found in tumor‐associated macrophages and, to a lower extent, in pro‐inflammatory synovial fluid macrophages from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Analysis of mouse macrophages confirmed Cd28 expression in bone‐marrow derived M‐MØ. Indeed, anti‐CD28 antibodies triggered ERK1/2 phosphorylation in mouse M‐MØ. At the functional level, Cd28KO M‐MØ exhibited a significantly higher capacity to activate the OVA‐specific proliferation of OT‐II CD4+ T cells than WT M‐MØ, as well as enhanced LPS‐induced IL‐6 production. Besides, the Cd28KO M‐MØ transcriptome was significantly different from WT M‐MØ regarding the expression IFN response, inflammatory response, and TGF‐β signaling related gene sets. Therefore, defective CD28 expression in mouse macrophages associates to changes in gene expression profile, what might contribute to the altered functionality displayed by Cd28KO M‐MØ. Thus, CD28 expression appears as a hallmark of anti‐inflammatory macrophages and might be a target for immunotherapy.


This paper presents the results of an investigation of a proposed concept for closely spaced parallel runways called the Simplified Aircraft-based Paired Approach (SAPA). This procedure depends upon a new alerting algorithm called the Adjacent Landing Alerting System (ALAS). This study used both low fidelity and high fidelity simulations to validate the SAPA procedure and test the performance of the new alerting algorithm. The low fidelity simulation enabled a determination of minimum approach distance for the worst case over millions of scenarios. The high fidelity simulation enabled an accurate determination of timings and minimum approach distance in the presence of realistic trajectories, communication latencies, and total system error for 108 test cases. The SAPA procedure and the ALAS alerting algorithm were applied to the 750-ft parallel spacing (e.g., SFO 28L/28R) approach problem. With the SAPA procedure as defined in this paper, this study concludes that a 750-ft application does not appear to be feasible, but preliminary results for 1000-ft parallel runways look promising.


This research was aimed to study the number of container holes and the inoculation period of  C. flavipes. This research was conducted in the sugarcane Laboratory of Research and Development Sei Semayang Binjai, Sumatera Utara from November 2017 to January 2018. A complete randomized design with two factors and three replications was used. The first factor was the number of holes in a container (1 hole d=10 cm, 1 hole d=2.5 cm, 4 holes d=2.5 cm, 7 holes d=2.5 cm and the second factor was incubation period (10, 20, dan 30 minutes). The result showed that the number of holes in each container and the inoculation period was significantly affecting the parasitation period, parasitation presence, number of images, and sex ratio of C. flavipes. The highest percentage (33.68%) on the number of container 1 hole d=10 cm while the lowest (7.38%) was in 1 hole d=2.5 cm. In terms of the incubation period, the highest (24.14%) parasitation percentage was in 10 minutes and the lowest (15.81%) was in 30 minutes. The highest number of imago (319.92 C. flavipes) based on inoculation treatment = 10 minutes, while the lowest (207.25 C. flavipes) = 20 minutes. The highest male (207.78 C. flavipes) was in 1 hole d=10 cm and the lowest (48.89 C. flavipes) in 1 hole d=2.5cm. The highest female (219.44 C. flavipes) was in 1 hole d=10 cm and the lowest (54.00 C. flavipes) in 1 hole d=2.5 cm. The highest (168.00 C. flavipes) inoculation period = 10 minutes while the lowest (107.5 C. flavipes) was in inoculation = 20 minutes. The sex ratio male : female = 1 : 1.


The effects of annealing conditions on microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanisms are investigated based on microalloyed medium manganese steel. The diffusion of C and Mn atoms is altered with increase in annealing temperatures or annealing time. Microstructure and mechanical properties are studied. It is found that the retained austenite generated by the reverse transformation of martensite is used to improve the strength and ductility during the intercritical temperature region. The total elongation (TE) is related to the fraction and stability of retained austenite. High strength is also obtained when there is almost no retained austenite below Ac1 temperature.


The Bureau of Mines investigated tIle standard Gibbs energies of form ation, 8Gfo, for MllF2 (manganese difluoride) and CoF2 (cobalt difluo ride). High-temperature galvanic cells employing CaF2 (calcium diflu oride) as the solid electrolyte were used to measure the open-circuit potentials for the cell reactions and Combination of the standard Gibbs energy changes for these reactions with the standard Gibbs energy of formation of NiF2 yielded the rived third-law


Emulsifiable concentrates containing toxic agents are usually formulated with blends of anionic and non-ionic surfactants which determine the structure of the interfacial layer enveloping the suspended droplets.

Electrostatic repulsion and London-van der Waals attraction decide their flocculation whereas other properties of the interfacial layer may also play an important part in their coalescence.


The paper presents the results of experimental study of the adsorption characteristic of theIM-50 and tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) collector reagents on cassiterite. UV-spectrophotometric method, scanning electron and lasermicroscopy were applied to analyze the adsorption of the reagents. SHIMADZU UV 1800 was used to obtain the UV spectra of aqueous solutions of IM-50 reagents and saponified TOFA at varied concentrations. IM-50 has not got characteristic adsorption maximain ultraviolet and visible spectrum. TOFA has a weakly pronounced maximum absorption in the range of 233-244 nm. Microscopicphotographs of cassiterite sections were obtained with LEO 1420VP INCA equipped OXFORD ENERGY 350 analyzer. Reagent IM-50and TOFA collector reagent, Newly formed organic matter phases of IM-50 and TOFA were detected. X-ray spectra characterized theincreased carbon content indicating adsorption on the surface of cassiterite IM-5- and TOFA.By measuring the surface relief parameters of polished cassiterite, using KEYENCE VK-9700 scanning laser microscopy and VK-Analyzer software, a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the IM-50 and TOFA reagent layer on the cassiterite surface was performed. Measurements were performed in the several fields of view and showed the degree of IM-50 coating varied from 40.5 to 42.6%of the surface area, and TOFA average coating was 38.5%. Subsequent washing with water does not remove the reagents from thesurface of the mineral and indicates a strong fixation of IM-50 and TOFA on cassiterite, which can have a positive effect on flotationextraction of sludge tin fractions.Qualitative and quantitative results of the reagent adsorption helped to make a forecast of their floatability by the studied collectors.This study is supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 17-17-01292).


We follow the popular approach for unconstrained minimization, i.e. we develop a local quadratic model at a current approximate minimizer in conjunction with a trust region. We then minimize this local model in order to nd the next approximate minimizer. Asymptot-ically, nding the local minimizer of the quadratic model is equivalent to applying Newton's method to the stationarity condition. For constrained problems, the local quadratic model corresponds to minimizinga quadratic approximation of the objective subject to quadratic approximations of the constraints (Q 2 P), with an additional trust region. This quadratic model is intractable in general and is usually handled by using linear approximations of the constraints and modifying the Hessian of the objective using the Hessian of the Lagrangean, i.e. a SQP approach. Instead, we solve the Lagrangean relaxation of Q 2 P using semideenite programming. We develop this framework and present an example which illustrates the advantages over the standard SQP approach.


The invention relates to the technical field of printed circuit boards, and particularly discloses a printed circuit board (PCB) with high computer telephone integration (CTI). The PCB with the high CTI comprises an inner layer core board and prepreg layers with the high CTI arranged on two sides of the inner layer core board, separating layers are arranged between the prepreg layers with the high CTI and the inner core board, and the thickness of each separating layer is 30 micrometers to 230 micrometers. The separating layers are used for separating the pregpreg layers with the high CTI from the inner layer core board, the problem that delamination is easy to occur when a plurality of layers of boards bear heat impacts due to the direct contact of the browning surfaces of the pregpreg layer with the high CTI and the inner layer core board is effectively solved, and meanwhile the reliability and the safety of products are improved.


The paper presents the results of statistical (sigma and percentile) analysis of height and weight in 434 boys and girls aged 14 years from the Voronezh Region in 2011 —2012. The girls' height was comparable with the regional indicators of physical development in the children of the Voronezh Region (1997—1999). The boys' height was characterized by a wide scatter of the obtained values; but there was an increase in the mean values as compared to the 1997—1999 data. Examinations of the boys and girls revealed a wide scatter in their weight with its increasing tendency. The performed examinations indicate the need for revision of the regional height and weight values for teenagers every ten years.


Skeleton extraction and visualization of 3D reconstructed target objects from multiple views continues to be a major challenge in terms of providing intuitive and uncluttered images that allow the users to understand their data. This paper presents a three-dimensional skeleton extraction technique of deformable objects based on a normalized gradient vector flow in order to analyze and visualize its characteristics. 3D deformable objects are reconstructed by an image based visual hull technique from known extrinsic and intrinsic camera parameters and silhouettes which are extracted from each camera. Our 3D skeleton extraction methodology employs the normalized gradient vector flow which is a vector diffusion approach based on partial differential equations. Euclidean distance of the magnitude of normalized gradient vector flow is used to extract the medial axis of volume data. The markerless 3D skeletonization of reconstructed from multiple images might be applied to retrieve the 3D model or correct the 3D motion of the target objects.


Centaurs are small bodies orbiting in the giant planet region that were scattered inward from their source populations beyond Neptune. Some members of the population display comet-like activity during their transition through the solar system, the source of which is not well understood. The range of heliocentric distances where the active Centaurs have been observed and their median lifetime in the region suggest that this activity is driven neither by water-ice sublimation nor entirely by supervolatiles. Here we present an observational and thermodynamical study of 13 Centaurs discovered in the Pan-STARRS1 detection database aimed at identifying and characterizing active objects beyond the orbit of Jupiter. We find no evidence of activity associated with any of our targets at the time of their observations with the Gemini North telescope in 2017 and 2018, or in archival data from 2013 to 2019. Upper limits on the possible volatile and dust production rates from our targets are 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than production rates in some known comets and are in agreement with values measured for other inactive Centaurs. Our numerical integrations show that the orbits of six of our targets evolved interior to r ∼ 15 au over the past 100,000 yr, where several possible processes could trigger sublimation and outgassing, but their apparent inactivity indicates that either their dust production is below our detection limit or the objects are dormant. Only one Centaur in our sample—2014 PQ70—experienced a sudden decrease in semimajor axis and perihelion distance attributed to the onset of activity for some previously known inactive Centaurs, and therefore it is the most likely candidate for any future outburst. This object should be a target of high interest for any further observational monitoring.


any emphasis on the role of the spirit in Genesis 1.1 and its tradition in Jewish writings, something that might have strengthened his thesis even further. Before turning to Paul, Yates pays special attention to the spirit and creation in the Hodayot and the Qumran community's understanding of the life-giving words spoken by the teacher of righteousness as well as the community's self-understanding as the beginning of the 'glory of Adam'. One of Yates' conclusions is that although it may be correct to speak of a 'soteriological' dimension of the spirit in these writings, this may also be misleading or a reduction, for the scope of these texts concerns the realisation of a new creation; they represent a broader interest compared to a mere soteriological one. After having established this background, Yates turns to the Pauline wri tings and discusses mainly the spirit of new creation in 1 Corinthians 15, 2 Corinthians 3-5 and Romans 5-8. In each of these sections he sets out to show the influence of Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 36-37. In regard to 1 Corinthians 15 he concludes that 'Paul's primary purpose in this passage is neither pneumatological nor Christological but anthropological. He is concerned with the resurrection bodies and the means by which they are raised' the divine spirit (p. 104). Concerning 2 Corinthians 3-5 Yates argues that Paul is combining in this section mainly his own prior teaching in 1 The Spirit and Creation in Paul, John W Yates, (Tiibingen: WUNT 251, Mohr Siebeek, 2008) (pp. 1 218)


Control surface seals are crucial to current and future space vehicles, as they are used to seal the gaps surrounding body flaps, elevons, and other actuated exterior surfaces. During reentry, leakage of high temperature gases through these gaps could damage underlying lower temperature structures such as rudder drive motors and mechanical actuators, resulting in impaired vehicle control. To be effective, control surface seals must shield lower temperature structures from heat transfer by maintaining sufficient resiliency to remain in contact with opposing sealing surfaces through multiple compression cycles. The current seal exhibits significant loss of resiliency after a few compression cycles at elevated temperatures (i.e., 1900 F) and therefore would be inadequate for advanced space vehicles. This seal utilizes a knitted Inconel X-750 spring tube as its primary resilient element. As part of a larger effort to enhance seal resiliency, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center performed high temperature compression testing (up to 2000 F) on candidate spring tube designs employing material substitutions and modified geometries. These tests demonstrated significant improvements in spring tube resiliency (5.5x better at 1750 F) through direct substitution of heat treated Rene 41 alloy in the baseline knit design. The impact of geometry modification was minor within the range of parameters tested, however trends did suggest that moderate resiliency improvements could be obtained by optimizing the current spring tube geometry.


Abstract Hook's law for evaluation of the modulus of elasticity of wheat grains and its general behaviour under compressive loads were studied. Whole specimens were subjected to compressive loading between metal parallel plates. The mechanical properties of grains were determined in terms of average failure strengths of grain bran and whole grain; deformation; and modulus of elasticity. The mechanical properties of very dry grains of the winter wheat Triticum aestivum L. with the moisture content of 10.3% were studied. The failure strength of grain bran was 4.43 MPa at the deformation of 10.7%, and the failure strength of whole grains was 4.88 MPa at the deformation of 13.5%. The modulus of elasticity of grains was 43.67 MPa. The apparent energy density at bran failure strength was 0.261 MJ·m−3, and 0.470 MJ·m−3 on the level of grain failure strength of the whole grain. The bran border structure of central inner part of grains was studied using microscope digital sections of longitudinal cuts of the grains using the image computer processing method. The area proportion of starch and pericarp of the border parts of grains was studied to describe the border texture of central sections of grains.


The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between financial literacy, educational attainment, and income level and financial management behavior. Individuals must demonstrate excellent financial management abilities in order to avoid financial difficulties. The level of financial literacy can be used to assess financial management behavior. Along with financial literacy, there are educational and income levels to consider. As a result, the researchers included variables for education level and income level. Customers of the BRI bank branch in Madiun City were included in this study. The sample consisted of 205 respondents who were chosen through a process known as purposive sampling.  The study gathered data from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from respondents through a questionnaire, while secondary data were gathered from the literature. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to process the data in this study, along with the SmartPLS application program. This study found that financial literacy positively impacts financial management behavior. On the other hand, neither education nor income has an effect.


PURPOSE: An electronic device and a method for icon activation of the same are provided to activate an icon freely by outputting an activation domain movement signal. CONSTITUTION: An electronic device includes: a display unit(3000) that displays an icon and an image; an input unit(1000) that generates an input signal and a sensing signal for the movement of pointer; and a body unit(2000) that moves the icon to an activation region according to a sensing signal and provides the signal for screen display to the display unit. The electronic device further contains a case and a power supply unit and a pointer control module(2100). The pointer control module generates an activation region movement signal corresponding to the movement of a sensor by receiving plural sensing signals and activates a corresponding icon.


The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between job insecurity and the general health of employees in a govemment organisation in the Free State. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The Job Insecurity Inventory (JII) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), as well as a biographical questionnaire were utilised for the purpose of the study. Results w n f i e d the reliability and validity of the various measuring instruments. Affective job insecurity demonstrated an association with increased levels of social dysfunction, anxiety and sleeplessness and severe depression. Cognitive job insecurity was however not found to correlate with any of the GHQ subscales. Multiple regression analyses indcated that affective job insecurity holds predictive value with regard to severe depression (12%) and social dysfunction (10%). OPSOMMING Die primke doelwit van h e sludie was om die verhouding tussen werkonsekerheid en die algemene gesondheid van werknemers in 'n staatsorganisasie in die Vqstaat te 0ndermek.b Dwarsdeursnee opname-ontwerp is gebruik. Die "Job Insecurity Inventory", "General Health Questionnaire' , sowel as 'n biografiese vraelys is vir die doel van die studie gebruik. Die resultate het die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die betrokke meetinstnvnente bevestig. Affektiewe werksonsekerheid het 'n verband met verhoogde vlakke van sosiale disfunksie, angs, slaapeloosheid amok hewige depressie getoon. Kognitiewe werkonsekerheid het geen korrelasie met enige van die GHQ subskale getwn me. Meervoudige regressie analise het getwn dat affektiewe werksonsekerheid voorspellingswaarde inhou vir hewige depressie (12%) en sosiale disfunksie (10%). *The fmancial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and wnclusions amived at, are that of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the National Research Foundation. Work conditions are changing as a result of globalisation and increasing competition. Intensified global competition has forced organisations to cut production costs and become more flexible. Organisations engage in "downsizing", "right-sizing" or restructuring; or all three simultaneously, in an attempt to survive in difficult economic conditions, and this almost inevitably implies the rationalising ofjobs. Organisations attempting to reduce costs put pressure on employees to modify their jobs, accept alternative employment conditions andlor relocate. All of the above-mentioned are likely to fuel job insecurity (Kissing, 1999). The unemployment rate in South Africa is exceptionally high. According to the official definition, unemployment was estimated at 26 percent in 1998 and rose to 29,s percent in 2001 (LFS, 2001). The broad definition, which includes the non-searching unemployed, is even higher and increased from 39 percent in 1999 to 41,s percent in 2002 (LFS, 2002). Job insecurity is thus a potential reality for many South Africans. As the most important instrument to improve the quality of lives of all South Africans, a reformed civil seMce is the single most critical element of government policy. Government organisations are challenged with high demands for basic services, while they have limited resources. Local government organisations are not excluded from the realities of 'restructuring' and 'transformation' and this is evident in promotions that were put on hold, managers that had to reapply for their jobs, and moratoriums that were placed on the appointment of new personnel, all which has led to understaffing in most departments. This in turn, may cause job insecurity and ill health (Rothmann, Jackson & Kmger, 2003). According to Davy, Kinicki and Scheck (1997) job insecurity refers to an employee's negative reactions to the changes regarding their jobs. Job insecurity is defined as an individual's expectations about the continuity of histher job situation (Davy et al., 1997). Rosenblatt and Ruvio (1996) view job insecurity as an overall concern about the future existence of the job, while Heaney, Israel and House (1994) define job insecurity as a powerlessness to maintain desired continuity in a threatened job situation. Literature usually conceptualises job insecurity from three general points of view, it being (i) a global or (ii) multidimensional concept or (iii) a job stressor (Mauno & Kinnunen, 1999). In most instances, job insecurity bas been defined according to the global viewpoint, signifying the threat of job loss or job discontinuity (Caplan, Cobb, French, van Harrison & Pinneau, 1980), whereas researchers who have adopted the multidimensional definition of job insecurity, argue that job insecurity refers not only to the degree of uncertainty, but also to the continuity of certain dimensions, such as opportunities for promotion (Ashford, Lee & Bobko, 1989). From a multi-dimensional perspective, Ashford et al. (1989) describe five components of job insecurity, being (i) the severity of the threat concerning job continuity or aspects of the job; (ii) the importance ofjob features, meaning that the fear of losing an important job feature is a cause of greater job insecurity than the threat of losing a minor job feature; (iii) the perceived threat of the occurrence which is expected to negatively affect an employee's total job situation, for example, being laid off, (iv) the total importance of the changes mentioned above; and (v) powerlessness, referring to an employee's inability to control the threats described in the previous four components. In this research job insecurity is viewed from the global, two dimensional perspective. Based on Borg and Elizur's (2000) conceptualisation of job insecurity, job insecurity is viewed as consisting of an affective and cognitive dimension. Cognitive job insecurity refers to the perceived likelihood ofjob loss, whereas affective job insecurity refers to fear ofjob loss. Dekker and Schaufeli (1995) and Latack and Dozier (1986) concur that perceived threats concerning the nature and continued existence of a job may bave as detrimental consequences as job loss self, such as job dissatisfaction, negative health outcomes and psychological stress. This is consistent with the central position of stress research, that anticipation of a stressful event represents an equally important, or perhaps even greater, source for anxiety than the actual event (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Sverke and Hellgren (2002) note that different individuals will bave different intensity levels of job insecurity even if they are exposed to the same kind of threat. Generally, the underlying theme of the various definitions is that job insecurity is a subjective phenomenon, i.e. based on the individual's perceptions and interpretations of the immediate work environment (Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984; Hartley, Jacobson, Klandermans & Van Vuuren, 1991). With regard to demographic daerences and the experience of job insecurity, Manski and Straub (2000) found that expectations of job loss decrease with age, as well as that job insecurity tends to decrease with schooling. Roskies and Louis-Guerin (1990), however, did not find a correlation between age and job insecurity. Domenighetti, D'Avanzo and Bisig, (2000) found that more highly educated people seem to have more difficulties than lesser educated in coping with fear of unemployment. Schaufeli (1992) states that the threat of job loss should be less problematic for the more highly educated, as such occupational groups possess more resources to counteract the adverse consequences of unemployment. According to the findings of Yousef (1998) employees' age, marital status, job level, monthly income, tenure in present job, tenure in company and an organisation's activity, contmbute significantly to variations in job satisfaction with job security among employees. Regarding differences between job insecurity levels of different cultural groups in South Africa, Bosman, Buitendach & Rothmann (2005) note that aspects such as Employment Equity and Affirmative Action, may be expected to affect the levels of job insecurity that different cultural groups may experience. Bosman et al. (2005) found that White employees experience higher levels of cognitive job insecurity than Black employees. In this research it is also speculated that those least advantaged by such legislation will experience higher levels of job insecurity than those who benefit from special consideration in terms of employment equity initiatives. Job insecurity is problematic not only for individual employees, but also for the company in which they work. Greenhalgh and Rosenblatt (1984) found, that the impact of job insecurity on individual employees could erode the effectiveness of the organisation. A downward spiral is created, where productivity decreases, and in such a manner, that the competitive strength of the company is undermined. The risk of further redundancies is increased, which in tum, increases feelings ofjob insecurity (Greenhalgh & Rosenblatt, 1984). According to De Witte (1999) and Van Vuuren (1990), job insecurity consistently presents itself as a stressor. According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984) stress arises when the individual appraises the demands of a particular encounter as exceeding the resources available, thereby threatening the well-being and bringing about change in the person's psychological andlor physiological condition in order to cope with the encounter (Cooper, Dewe & O'Driscoll, 2001; Siu, 2002). Stressors can be seen as the antecedents (stimuli) of the transaction, which normally leads to individual strain. Strain refers to the individual's psychological, physical and behavioural response to stressors (Cooper et al., 2001). Nikolaou and Tsaousis (2002) note that the most common definitions of stress may be categorised into three types. The first category is perceived as being stimulus-based, which views stress as a


Bullous emphysema (progressive lung dystrophy) is a disease of advanced age and over 90% of the patients are men. The bullous changes in the l-ng perferentially affect the apical fields and the left lower area. Bronchographic visualization is in this case not possible. The disease runs a progressive course. Valvular stenoses of the bronchi and especially of the bronchioles in various types of primary pulmonary disease are of considerable importance etiologically.


It has "been proposed that the Li ions in crystalline LiF possess a lattice vibrational spectrum •which differs frcm that of the F ions. With this in mind, the nuclear magnetic resonance absorption properties of LiF have been investigated as a function of temperature. Using a single crystal of high purity the resonances due to Li? and F^9 were studied from 300°K to 1.5°K. The line width and the spinlattice relaxation time T^ for both nuclei were measured quantitatively, and the line shapes were observed qualitatively.


Since the first resin-bonded fixed partial denture was described, this adhesive technique for splinting mobile teeth has developed into a conservative method for replacing missing teeth. Heat-pressed all-ceramic materials have been introduced for the fabrication of 3-unit fixed partial dentures in the anterior and premolar region. This clinical report describes the replacement of a conventional partial coverage metal-ceramic resin-bonded fixed partial denture with an all-ceramic resin-bonded fixed partial denture in the anterior maxillary area.


Anthracnose affects inflorescences quality of ornamentals tropical plants and the fungi specie Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has been related with this disease based only on morphology. Therefore, the objectives of this research was to identify Colletotrichum isolates collected on anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum), torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) and heliconia (Heliconia spp.) plants by means of morphology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and also verify the genetic variability using arbitrary-primed PCR (AP-PCR). All isolates were identified as C. gloeosporioides by conidium and appressorium size. A fragment of 450bp specific for C. gloeosporioides was amplified for all isolates analyzed, except for C 23 and C 35 isolates. The molecular characterization yielded three groups of isolates with different band patterns by using (GACAC)3, (GACA)4 and (CAG)5 AP-PCR. The employed methodologies were efficient to identify the C. gloeosporioides isolates collected on ornamental plants and there isn't relation between similarity of band patterns and geographic region or plant specie on the isolates analyzed.


Oral reading or reading aloud has been a dominant mode in the history of reading. But it has been a neglected area in psycholinguistics for a long time. Recent studies began to explore oral reading and show that it could enhance comprehension of texts (Fukuda, 2005) and lexical processing (Yi & Yi, 2006). However, evidence for oral reading benefits is still scanty. There are many variables that might influence oral reading. Among those variables is subvocalization where individual differences exist. Some readers usually engage in subvocalization when reading texts; some never do. According to Takahashi (2006) phonological encoding or subvocalization could modulate the effects of oral reading on text comprehension. Two kinds of phonological encoding are possible in reading texts. Oral reading always involves phonological encoding while silent reading does not necessarily involve it. Only people who subvocalize engage in phonological encoding. The purpose of the present study is to classify individuals into subvocalizer and non-subvocalizer using the method of Takahashi (2006) and compare the effects of oral and silent reading on lexical processing. Figure 1. Mean naming latency (msec)


Thiourea is a classical urease inhibitor usually as a positive control, and many N,N`-disubstituted thioureas have been determined as urease inhibitors. However, due to steric hindrance, N,N`-disubstituted thiourea motif could not bind urease as thiourea. On the contrary, N-monosubstituted thioureas with a tiny thiourea motif could theoretically bind into the active pocket as thiourea.

A series of N-monosubstituted aroylthioureas were designed and synthesized for evaluation as urease inhibitors.

Urease inhibition was determined by the indophenol method and IC50 values were calculated using computerized linear regression analysis of quantal log dose-probit functions. The kinetic parameters were estimated viasurface plasmon resonance (SPR) and by nonlinear regression analysis based on the mixed type inhibition model derived from Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

Compounds b2, b11and b19 reversibly inhibited urease with a mixed mechanism, and showed excellent potency against both cell-free urease and urease in intact cell, with IC50 values being 90-to 450-fold and 5-to 50-fold lower than the positive control acetohydroxamic acid, respectively. The most potent compound b11 showed IC50 value of 0.060 ±0.004μM against cell-free urease, which bound to urea binding site with a very low KDvalue (0.420±0.003nM) and a very long residence time (6.7 min). Compound b11was also demonstrated having very low cytotoxicity to mammalian cells.

These results revealed that N-monosubstituted aroylthioureas clearly bind the active site of urease as expected, and represent a new class of urease inhibitors for the development of potential therapeutics against infections caused by ure-ase-containing pathogens.


Tourism-led economic growth hypothesis has been a widely studied topic yet Africa has been slow to generate information in this area. Almost all economies globally utilise tourism to accelerate economic growth because the industry is linked with foreign exchange income, employment opportunities, and increased foreign investment. Therefore, this study focuses on exploring and demonstrating the economic impact of the tourism industry on Lesotho's economy by specifically focusing on tourism as a source of income, employment, investment, and export. Secondary research approach was utilised by conducting a comprehensive literature review to generate information for this research. The findings of this study revealed that tourism activities positively influenced Lesotho's economy from 2014 to 2019. The results support the tourism-led economic growth hypothesis by noting a positive contribution to Lesotho's economy in terms of the gross domestic product, employment and investment. Furthermore, Lesotho's tourism development impediments were noted to include infrastructure inadequacy, low levels of tourism collaborations and investment, and improper marketing and management of tourism organisations. Keywords: secondary data, tourism industry, economic development, tourism development drawbacks, Lesotho


Currently, web-based online games is becoming popular in supporting learning process due to their effective and efficient tool. However, online games have lack of security aspect, in particular due to increase in the number of personal information leakage. Since the data are transmitted over insecure channel, it will be vulnerable of being intercepted by attackers who want to exploit user's identity. This paper aims to propose an online web-based educational game, Vidyanusa which allows the students to register their personal information using a unique code, a user name and a password. It manages the users according to their schools, subject teachers and class levels. In addition, by adopting a unique code, the confidentiality of the user identity can be kept away from attackers. Moreover, in order to provide a secure data communication between client and server, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol is adopted. The performance of the system after implementing SSL protocol is examined by loading a number of requests for various users. From the experiment result, it can be concluded that the SSL protocol can be applied to web-based educational system in order to offer security services and reliable connection.


Various types of electronic printed circuits (PC) cards are used to measure different signals on four superconductive cavity cryomodules currently installed at the Cornell Energy Storage Ring (CESR). My project involved the design of a test stand able to check and troubleshoot these cards in a quick and effective manner in order to avoid their failure during operation periods and improve testing time efficiency.


Principally occurring on the high seas and in the remoter oceans of the world, such as the Southern Ocean, IUU fishing is also common in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of coastal states that simply do not have the resources, money or political will to address the problem. While the level of illegal fishing seems to have no significant relationship with indicators such as fish price or EEZ size, it does exhibit a significant connection with World Bank governance indicators such as government effectiveness, regulatory quality, the rule of law and control of corruption. The 2005 World Bank report Turning the Tide, highlighted the direct link between over-fishing and poverty. The Director of the Bank's Environment Department maintained that 'poor governance, lack of regulations and lack of enforcement present a barrier to effective fisheries management.'


: Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) were collected from 4 sites in Kentucky: the Ohio River, Lake Cumberland, and 2 aquaculture sources (private reservoir and catfish ponds). They were tested for methylmer-cury concentrations in their flesh. Paddlefish from all sources had methylmercury levels below the 1 part per million Food and Drug Administration-mandated action limit for seafood. However, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose for methylmercury, only paddlefish from the Ohio River exceeded the reference dose for unrestricted consumption. Some Ohio River and Lake Cumberland paddlefish had higher-than-average methylmercury concentrations, whereas aquacultured paddlefish had low concentrations of methylm-ercury. There was a direct proportionality between fish age and methylmercury concentration; older paddlefish tended to have higher amounts of methylmercury in their meat.


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A small male Drosophila melanogaster fly. By Andre Karwath aka Aka (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons.

As if life wasn't hard enough for insect-kind, with intensive agriculture and insecticides obliterating their numbers, the planet is also warming at an


Disclosed are a steel sheet having excellent aging resistance and low yield ratio properties, and a method for producing same. The steel sheet according to the present invention is characterized by: consisting of, in wt%, C: 0.005-0.06%, Si: 0.2% or less, Mn: 1.0-2.0%, P: 0.08% or less, S: 0.01% or less, Al: 0.2-2.0%, at least one of Cr and Mo such that 0.3 ≤ [Cr]+0.3[Mo] ≤ 2.0, N: 0.008% or less, and Fe and inevitable impurities as the remainder; having a single phase structure of ferrite in a state of hot-rolled steel sheet; and having a dual phase structure of ferrite and martensite in a state of cold-rolled steel sheet.


Molecular dynamics simulations are used to model the thermal properties of a fluid containing solid nanoparticles (nanofluid). The flexibility of molecular simulation allows us to consider the effects of particle mass, particle-particle and particle-fluid interaction and that of the spatial distribution of the particles on the thermal conductivity. We show that the heat conductivity of a well dispersed nanofluid is well described by the classical Maxwell Garnett equation model. In the case of particle clustering and strong inter particle interactions the conductivity can be again described by effective medium calculation taking into account the aspect ratio of the cluster. Heat transfer is increased when particles are aligned in the direction of the temperature gradient. This kind of collective effects could be a first step to understand the substantial increase in the conductivity observed in some experiments.


4554 Background: Prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) has been identified as a predictor of outcome in prostate cancer. Atrasentan, a potent, selective, oral endothelin A receptor antagonist, significantly decreased time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in 271 men with metastatic HRPC. In that study, PSADT <4 mo was predictive of rapid disease progression and decreased survival in men with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Our objective was to confirm the utility of PSADT as a predictor of disease progression and survival in a larger population of subjects from combined phase 2 and 3 trials.

METHODS
Data from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 and 3 trials of metastatic HRPC patients given either placebo or atrasentan (10 or 2.5 mg QD) were combined. Measurements from 982 patients with a minimum of 3 PSA values on treatment were analyzed. Data from all treatment arms were pooled and stratified by PSADT <4 mo vs ≥4 mo. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methodologies were used to compare time to disease progression (TTP) and survival between the PSADT <4 mo and PSADT ≥4 mo groups.

RESULTS
982 patients were included in the analyses: 484 patients had a PSADT <4 mo and 498 had a PSADT ≥4 mo. Patients with a PSADT ≥4 mo showed a statistically significant longer median TTP (178 days), more than twofold greater than those with a PSADT <4 mo (85 days, log-rank p<0.001). Survival in patients with a PSADT <4 mo was significantly shorter than that in patients with a PSADT ≥4 mo (log-rank p<0.001). Median survival was 445 days for patients with PSADT <4 mo vs 746 days for patients with PSADT ≥4 mo.

CONCLUSIONS
These data confirm earlier findings that a PSADT <4 mo is predictive of early disease progression and reduced survival of men with metastatic HRPC, independent of therapy. [Table: see text].


The manufacturing function in most companies represents the bulk of its assets and the majority of its people. A healthy manufacturing function gives the company the strength to withstand competitive pressures. It gives the endurance to maintain a steady improvement in competitive performance, and also provides the operational suppleness to respond to increasingly volatile markets and competition. In this paper, flexibility and quality are examined as two major strategic aspects of manufacturing that affect the cost and the delivery performance of its output(s). The issues related to these have been identified and surveyed in Indian industries in the context of increasing challenges due to globalisation and enhanced competition.


The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers describe instructional coaching. Instructional coaching has become a leading form of professional development in educational settings, yet there is a lack of empirical evidence that explains and clarifies it. One aspect of instructional coaching that is not known is how teachers perceive it. In order to gain understanding about instructional coaching, the perspectives of the teachers could provide valuable insight to benefit those involved in the practice. Instructional coaching and the schools where coaching takes place are complex in nature. Through the use of one-on-one interviews, an in-depth look at teachers' perspectives provided insight into some of these complexities. Fifteen teachers in six child care centers participated in this study. Two qualitative strategies—inductive analysis (Hatch, 2002) and educational criticism (Eisner, 1998)—were used to analyze interview data from which three themes were formed: (a) instructional coaching is a means of building instructional capacity, (b) instructional coaching requires a supportive environment, and (c) instructional coaching increases children's learning opportunities. The themes are perspectives from which to view and understand instructional coaching in preschool classrooms. One conclusion in this study was that all three themes were substantially supported by extant literature and empirical research. The implication for policy and practice is that instructional coaching is contingent upon change and change is difficult due to resistance by teachers and systemic issues. Five recommendations are highlighted in this study: (a) instructional coaches should demonstrate a high level of proficiency in educational knowledge and practice, (b) coaches should be involved in on-going professional development that includes communication training, (c) teacher supervisors should be involved in instructional coaching as


The skill of writing observation report text is one of the skills that need to be mastered by class X high school students. Based on the results of observations and interviews with Indonesian language subject teachers at Arjasa Junior High School, there is a problem in the process of writing observation report text. Students have d ifficulties in starting and developing ideas, have errors in applying linguistic rules, and difficulties in compiling a text framework for the observation report. This is indicated by the low-level of difficulty in learning to write the text of the observation report: only 7 students whose grades have reached the standard grade Standard Score, 28 students do not complete. To improve the writing skills of the observation report text, it is necessary to take action by applying the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model combined with the powtoon application media. The research design used was CAR (Classroom Action Research) which consisted of two cycles starting from planning, action, observation, reflection, re-planning, action, observation, and reflection. The method used to get data is through questionnaires, interviews, observations, tests, and documentation. The results showed that student learning outcomes increased from cycle I to cycle II, namely by 45.7% or as many as 16 students who reached the standard grade increased to 80% or as many as 28 students in cycle II. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the application of the PBL model with the powtoon application media can improve students' skills in writing observation report text in class X IPA 4 Arjasa Junior High School. Keywords: problem based learning model, powtoon application media, observation report text, writing in high school